The Project
by Hikoboshi18
Summary: After starting his first day of eleventh grade with fun and games, Inuyasha also meets a very difficult girl. His goal for the year: gain her heart. Kagome has a painful past and isn't willing to give in. Her goal for the year: stop this boy's chase.
1. Chapter 1: Wakeup Call

**The Project**

By: Hikoboshi18

Chapter One

Wake-up Call

He woke up to the sound of his merciless alarm clock. He was greeted by singing birds and the morning light peeking through his window. He grinned.

_Today is going to be a very good day, _he thought, which was weird considering the fact that it was the first day of his third year at Mica High School. Most people, like his brother, hated the first day of school. But to him it meant new people and new pranks. Ever since he started to go to school at MHS two years ago he always had someone to pick on, someone to annoy the hell out of. He loved it. That was school for him: get a girlfriend, out-prank everyone at school, and annoy the hell out of his brother and his friends. It was the life.

He clicked the alarm clock off and lazily threw his athletic legs out of the bed and scratched his head, his nails making their way through the matted silver hair. He was tired after summer break where his days consisted of work, pranks, girls, friends, pranks, and video games. But today would be fun, he knew it, and he didn't have time to be tired now.

He grinned maliciously when he remembered something. He had someone to wake up…

Now with new-found energy, he got out of bed and went to his closet, tripping on discarded clothes and game consoles along the way. He pulled out his uniform from last year, navy blue pants, and a white dress shirt with a jacket matching the pants. But then he remembered. Mica High School stopped using uniforms starting this year. He grinned when he remembered why they decided to do that.

Of course it was him who did it. Well, he was a large factor. He would pull pranks on the cafeteria ladies (dying the drinking water green, putting "MHS SUCKS" on their aprons, etc.) but they could never identify him since he blended right in with the other students. His long silky silver hair blended in too since it had become the new fad around the school. Ever since he and his brother had started going to the school students had been dying their hair silver, declaring it 'cool.' They didn't know that his hair was natural though.

He supposed the school dropped the uniforms in hopes of catching him this year, but he highly doubted it.

Putting the uniform back with a smug look on his face, he got a wife beater, casual light blue jeans, and a white shirt. He had just pulled on his black sneakers when he realized that he was late. He had to hurry or he wouldn't be able to do it.

"Sesshomaru!" he banged on the door. "Get UP! Time to GO!"

"Dammit, Inu-yasha! I'm getting up! Go away!" a deep voice yelled from the other side.

He kept on banging. "Get your lazy ass up!" Even though he was yelling, he had a hint of amusement in his face and voice that he tried to hid.

"I swear I'm gonna," the voice went onto say something about duct tape and a chain saw.

"You're gonna what?" Inu-yasha asked smugly. "Come out here in your boxers and yell at me? We both know that you aren't dressed yet."

"Ooh, you're so gonna get it!" The sound of heavy stomping came closer to the door.

Inu-yasha ran the short distance to the top of the stairs and ducked behind the steps, his eyes peeking over the top step. He had a grin on his face as he watched his older brother open the door. Then he bust out laughing when a bucket full of red ooze fell on top of his brother's long silvery hair. His vigorous build was revealed since he only had some black boxers on.

Sesshomaru stood there for a while. If Inu-yasha wasn't standing there watching him, he would've immediately started to bang his head on the nearest wall. He should've seen this coming. He curled his hand into a fist. He had no idea what the red stuff was, but two things were certain: he definitely didn't want to know what it was and Inu-yasha was going to pay… big time!

"Argh!" Sesshomaru's war cry could be heard in every room and corner of the three-story house. He charged at his little brother who was still laughing so hard it looked like he was about to cry.

Inu-yasha bolted down the stairs. "You should've seen your face!" he yelled over his shoulder with laughter in every syllable. When he got to the last five or so steps, Inu-yasha jumped the rest. Sesshomaru was hot on his trail, but he had no intention of jumping so far down and he was just concentrated on catching the pest, so he just ran down the rest.

This was a very big mistake. Apparently Inu-yasha had jumped for a reason. As soon as Sesshomaru felt a thin yet strong wire on his shins, he knew it was already too late. The wire held strong and he tumbled down the stairs in a flurry of sliver hair with some unidentified red ooze in it, bare skin, and black Looney Tunes boxers.

Inu-yasha had turned around just in time to see the fall. He immediately burst out into laughter again but this time it was so much he crumpled onto the floor holding his stomach as if it would keep in his laughter.

Sesshomaru just sat there, hair, legs, and arms twisted in the most peculiar way. This was probably the worst prank Inu-yasha had ever pulled on him. Actually, it was the only prank he was able to pull on him. He was always wary to avoid this kind of thing. But Inu-yasha had just made him so livid… He sighed inwardly. It was over and done with now. Now he just had to get him back.

Inu-yasha watched Sesshomaru's face go from pale to crimson. If he could've gotten a better look, he'd have said that his face was about the same shade as the red stuff the bucket poured on him. No, even he didn't know what it was and he was the one who found and used it. He just thought it was the perfect combination: bright red and silver.

The whole ordeal was even funnier to Inu-yasha since he'd used the oldest tricks in the book. Tying a string to the door so that when it was opened it would cause the bucket to tip and tripping people with wire were some of the first pranks he did. And now they worked on his brother, the emotionless, totally composed eighteen year old boy who he could never get before. And now he knew the trick to getting him to fall for anything: get him angry. Why the hell hadn't he thought of that before!

But now wasn't the time to think. Sesshomaru was now about as red as a tomato and Inu-yasha was willing to bet that it wasn't from embarrassment but from anger.

Sesshomaru's battle cry vibrated off the walls again as he launched himself from the floor into Inu-yasha's direction. By now, Inu-yasha had gotten up and was a good ten feet away from his raging brother. He looked over his shoulder and broke down into laughter again. This was better that he had hoped! Apparently, Sesshomaru had forgotten to untangle himself before he started to run after Inu-yasha again. Inu-yasha had turned around in time to witness the second fall of his brother. He dove head first into the carpeted floor. He landed with a 'thud' and was now untangled but he was still a site with his gooey red hair and Bugs Bunny boxers.

Inu-yasha was rolling on the floor now, laughing and holding his stomach. "Oh my God, you should've seen the way you fell!" he panted. "That was priceless!"

Sesshomaru glared at him from where he was and got into a push-up position. With a heave he had taken off after his brother again. This time Inu-yasha hadn't had enough time to get up. Sesshomaru landed on top at him, forcing the air out of his stomach which stopped his issue with not being able to stop laughing real quick.

Both boys had their fists up and were just about to punch each others lights out when they felt a sharp yank on their long hair.

Both boys whelped at the pain and were pulled onto their feet, each on either side of a certain mad business man.

"Ow, ow, ow!" both boys said in unison. Neither of them had to look to know who it was who now held a fistful of silver/red hair. They also knew that whatever was about to happen wasn't going to be pretty.

"What the hell is going on here!" a deep voice rang out. The boys winced.

"What's going on here is that dumbass here just had to ruin my morning!" Sesshomaru yelled.

"Liar!" Inu-yasha said instinctively although he couldn't help the smug smile that he had to hide.

"You're the liar!"

"Am not!"

The man yanked on the hair in his hands again and both boys whelped in response, stopping the arguing immediately. "I don't care who the liar is! I just want to know why…" And then he saw the redness in Sesshomaru's hair and the fact that he was wearing only some boxers. He sighed and his grip on the boys' hair relaxed a little. "Inu-yasha…" he started.

Just then a woman flew into the room and gasped. "Oh my goodness, what on earth happened, dear?" She gasped again and said, "Sesshomaru is that blood? Are you okay?" She rushed over to him.

The man let go of the boys' hair and both of them fell to the floor since he was mostly supporting them.

"I'm fine, Izayoi," Sesshomaru said when she came to him. He pushed her caring hands away and stood up. She tried so hard to replace his real mother. "May I leave Dad? I want to get this stuff out."

"Go son." Sesshomaru sent one last death stare at Inu-yasha and then went up the stairs to take a shower.

As soon as the shower started, Inu-yasha burst out laughing. He couldn't hold it anymore. It was just too funny.

"Dad, you should've seen the look on his face! And he fell… twice! One was a nose dive! That was the best prank I've ever pulled off! Oh my God, I've gotta…" Inu-yasha shut up after he saw his dad's face. He was definitely not laughing. "I-I-I'm s-sorry D-Dad!" he stuttered.

"Son…," he started. Then he did what Inu-yasha thought would never happen. His father's face broke out into… a smile! And now he was chuckling. "Alright, I have to admit that was good!" he laughed.

Inu-yasha wasn't sure if it was a joke or not. He just gawked at him.

"You'll have to give me the juicy details about what happened later," he laughed.

"But…" Inu-yasha said uncertainly.

"Inu-yasha, in the eighteen years that Sesshomaru has been alive, I haven't seen _anything_ like this happen to him. It's like, a holiday!"

"Dad, you're scaring me…"

He laughed at his remark but Inu-yasha had the feeling that his father didn't know that he wasn't kidding.

They heard the shower go off upstairs.

"Alright," his dad said using his business voice. Inu-yasha knew what he was about to say wasn't going to be good. His business voice was almost always a bad sign. "As far as Sesshomaru knows, you have all his chores for a week for what you did to him."

Inu-yasha gasped. "What!"

"Calm down son," he commanded. Inu-yasha shut up real quick. "I said as far as Sesshomaru knows, which means that you're to tell him precisely that." Inu-yasha's face told him that he was completely lost. He sighed. "I'm not going to punish you." The look on Inu-yasha's face clearly said 'thank god!' "Tell Sesshomaru that you are though. You know how mad he'll get." Inu-yasha nodded vigorously. "I'll have Tami do them for you. Just tell Sesshomaru that you did them."

Tami was the only maid in the house. She had short blond hair and a chunky build but she made it work for her. She had been helping out around the house since before Sesshomaru was born. She was well into her forties by now but she was treated like family even though she was just a maid.

"Even though you should be," Izayoi spoke up. "Oh Inutaisho, dear, you're going to be late."

"Yes, thank you darling. I'm leaving now." Inutaisho turned to his son. In his business voice he said, "Alright, I'm letting you off the hook but next time…" He didn't have to finish for Inu-yasha to get the point. Inutaisho wasn't one to play favorites, especially since his two sons were so competitive. But even he, the proud ruthless owner of the family business, Taisho Cybernetics, had a sense of humor.

"Goodbye family!" Inutaisho yelled loud enough so that Sesshomaru could hear. Grabbing his keys, he made his way out the door, his family calling a farewell before he closed the door.

Inu-yasha decided it was time he really started to get ready for school. He went to the kitchen, grabbed a plate, and piled it with the pancakes and bacon his mother had fixed for them on the first day of school. It was her little tradition to fix breakfast on the first day of school. He was halfway done when Sesshomaru walked in, his hair now red ooze-free, clothes (a black shirt, blue jeans, and white sneakers) on his body, and his emotionless mask in place. His mask immediately disappeared as soon as he saw Inu-yasha though and was replaced by strong dislike. Inu-yasha tried to conceal a snicker by casually coughing.

"You _will _pay for this, little half-brother," he said in a menacing low deep voice.

Now Inu-yasha didn't bother to hide his smug smile. "I bet I will but until then… HA!" Sesshomaru's face reddened a little and for a second Inu-yasha thought they'd get a chance to finish what they started earlier. But Sesshomaru quickly gained his composure and his mask was once again in place.

He muttered something about slow and painful as he grabbed some food. Deciding to be wary, Sesshomaru stood and ate his food. He knew that his half brother had been in that room for a while and he could've booby-trapped the chairs. They ate in silence.

"Alright boys," Izayoi's voice broke into the room. "It's about that time." She had a cheerful look on her face.

Inu-yasha, finished with his food, stood up and gave her a kiss goodbye. "Bye Mom." He smiled at her before he went to the door, grabbing his backpack along the way. The sound of the door opening and closing could be heard by Izayoi and her step-child. There was an awkward pause but if Sesshomaru felt any discomfort it didn't show on his face. He just finished his food, put his plate in the sink, and said a casual 'bye' before following his brother's tracks.

Izayoi sighed. She knew that she'd never take his mother's place and that wasn't what she wanted anyway. She just wished it was easier to talk to him. She knew he had the right to be hostile since her husband had dumped Sesshomaru's mother soon after he found out that she herself was pregnant with Inu-yasha. But still…

The sound of Sesshomaru's yelling could be heard as soon as the door opened. "Inu-yasha, I'm going to KILL you!"

"Four in one day! Wow! You better watch out, I'm getting good at this!" Inu-yasha's voice sounded.

"The only thing I'll be watching is my fist connecting with your head!" Sesshomaru yelled back.

"Catch me if you can!" come the cocky reply.

The door slammed shut and Izayoi could still hear the faint yelling of Sesshomaru and Inu-yasha.

_True siblings, _Izayoi thought chuckling to herself and getting ready for work.


	2. Chapter 2: The Girl

**Okay, I really haven't got a clue how these "corners" work so that's why I didn't do one last chapter. I see them all the time with other peoples' fanfics so I figured that I'd try it too. Anyway, I've been trying to keep this fanfic really funny and so far I think it's working out okay...? Oh well, I'll see. I decided that it would be better if I caught the reader's attention with some really funny stuff first. Oh, and yes, I know that all of the stuff that happened to Sesshomaru would _never _happen to the great lordlyness but I couldn't think of anyone else to be the victim. Anyway, this next chapter isn't nearly as funny as the first but Kagome comes into this one. Well, enjoy!**

Chapter Two

The Girl

Inu-yasha smartly took his silver Spyder Eclipse to school. After he splashed Sesshomaru with a cup of water in his waist to make it look like he'd peed his pants (another old trick) Sesshomaru was just about ready to take his head right off his shoulders. He'd only barely made it to his car and locked the door before Sesshomaru could do so though. He'd taken off before his brother could take out a window. Sesshomaru looked mad enough to be able to do anything.

Ten minutes after pulling away from his house he reached the car parking lot. Students in casual clothes chatted away about their summers: who was going out with who now, who was pregnant with who's child, etc. He smiled at the sight of everyone in normal clothes and not some uniform that everyone hated. He parked and immediately saw some sort of commotion not too far off. It involved a very red-faced girl, her friends, and a certain young pervert…

Inu-yasha sighed. His best friend was already at work. He jogged over to a boy who had his hand held to his cheek and a sly grin planted on his face. He had black hair, enough to pull back into a small tail. His violet eyes always held mischief.

"Hey, you dumb pervert!" Inu-yasha called. The girls were just walking away when he reached him.

The boy turned, slightly surprised, and his face lit up in a bad-thought-free grin. "Well, isn't that a way to greet your best friend!" he laughed. He held his hand out and the two exchanged a friendly handshake/hug.

"I see that you're already trying to get a girl," Inu-yasha grinned. "God Miroku, the first bell hasn't even rung yet!"

Miroku laughed. "You know me, I'm an early starter."

Inu-yasha laughed. Miroku watched his friend's face go from happy and laughing to pale and slightly scared. Miroku followed his line of vision and saw Sesshomaru, his friend's half brother.

Miroku chuckled and said, "Oh no, what did you do now?"

Inu-yasha turned to his best friend and his face looked like he was about to explode with laughter. The bell rang and both boys turned toward the school. "Come on, I'll tell you while we go in," Inu-yasha said grabbing his arm and walking in the opposite direction than Sesshomaru.

Both Miroku and Inu-yasha were laughing hard when they reached their lockers that were conveniently right next to each other. They'd been to the school a week before and got their lockers and schedules.

"I can't believe you did that," Miroku said, eyes concentrated on the combination dial.

"I know, but this was no doubt the best prank I've ever pulled on someone. I've never tried to do two in a row. In the end it turned out to be four! And the day isn't even over!" Inu-yasha couldn't help the smug smile on his lips.

"I wouldn't do any more on him today though," Miroku said as he opened his locker door. "In fact, I wouldn't do any more on him period."

"Yes, my dear friend," Inu-yasha said, "but you aren't me. And be happy you aren't. You don't want to go through the beating that is sure to come." Inu-yasha was leaning on the locker beside Miroku's which was his. He'd already put his stuff away. They didn't have books yet for the year so all he had to do was put some extra paper and other school supplies in. Miroku was just being really slow.

"Yeah, you're right about that," Miroku laughed. He closed his locker and looked at his friend with teary eyes. "I will remember you and go to your gravestone every week," he said with mock sadness.

"Shut up, you asshole," Inu-yasha laughed. Miroku joined him and they walked to their first class.

"Hey," Miroku said, "what's your homeroom class?"

"Umm…" Inu-yasha pulled a piece of paper out of his backpack. His eyes scanned it for a second before he said, "History with Myoga-sensei."

"Good," Miroku said. "I'll be there to protect you if Sesshomaru has that class," he said with a note of amusement in his voice.

"Shut up," Inu-yasha said. "I can protect myself."

"Not from your brother. If I remember correctly, it was Sesshomaru who gave you the black eye right before homecoming last year," Miroku snickered.

Inu-yasha reddened at the reminder, but he said defensively, "I got a hit or too in…."

"Yeah, of course I believe that!" Miroku said with a doubtful sideways glance.

Inu-yasha pouted but didn't say anything else. They reached an open door and walked in. A few students sat chatting with each other but other than that, no one else was in the classroom yet. The boys walked to two seats in the back, passing a chubby man with bug-eyed eyes who was behind the teacher's desk. Inu-yasha guessed it was Myoga-sensei.

When they sat down, they casual talked until the bell rang. In that time, several students came up to the two of them and thanked Inu-yasha for stopping the use of uniforms. He gave each of them a smug 'you're welcome.'

After the bell rang the teacher got up from his seat and said cheerfully, "Good morning, class."

A few students murmured a bored 'good morning' in response.

The teacher paused for a second and then said, "Well, don't you guys sound excited." A few students smiled at this. "Okay, this is History class and you may call me Myoga-sensei. Please make sure that you're in the right class."

The students shuffled around and after a while two students got up with embarrassed looks on their faces. Myoga waited patiently as the two practically ran out of the classroom to get away from the snickers coming from the other students.

"Okay," Myoga said while clamping his hands together, "on with the class!"

Inu-yasha groaned. This was going to be some year.

"Okay, let's start with names. Ah, yes, you in the blue jacket," the teacher said while pointing at a little girl in the front row. "Please, give us your name, grade, and an interesting thing about you."

The girl said, "Well, my name is—"

"Please stand up so everyone knows who you are," Myoga cut her off.

With an irritated look on her face she stood and said, "My name is Kami, I'm a sophomore and I know five different languages." She had blood-red hair and narrowed black eyes. Her pale skin was caked in make-up to make it seem like she had light brown skin. Inu-yasha thought her voice was very shrill.

"Oh really," Myoga said with interest. "What five languages?"

Kami sighed impatiently and said, "English, Japanese, German, French, and Spanish."

"Wow and how did you learn these?"

"By using that thing called a brain," came the smart-aleck reply.

Myoga gave her a look that said quite plainly 'I just _know_ you'll be _such _a joy to have in the class.' Out loud he said, "Yes, well thank you Ms. Kami."

Kami instantly sat back down.

Inu-yasha was so bored. He was all the way across the room from where the teacher started so he let his eyes wonder. All the classroom desks were full. The walls were mostly blank except for the couple world maps that were all black and white. There was almost no color at all in the room. If he didn't know any better, Inu-yasha would've guessed that the man was from the early 1900s. He looked at the students and remembered a couple of faces here and there. He smiled to himself when he saw someone he'd pulled a prank on in the previous years. There was one girl who was just doodling on a piece of paper. She wore a hoddy that looked entirely too big for her and blue jeans that hung loosely on her legs. He guessed they were hiding very thin legs. Her hair blocked her face so it was kind of hard for Inu-yasha to get a good look at her. He was trying to get a better look at her doodle and face when Miroku broke him out of his thoughts.

"Hey!" he whispered. "Are you alive?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Just… looking."

"Oh, me too. See that blonde chick over there?" Miroku suddenly got a very perverted look on his face.

"Ugh, would you stop doing that around me! I didn't even mean it _that _way," Inu-yasha whispered.

"Oh, what's the matter? Does little Inu-washy not like gwirls?" Miroku said in a mocking baby voice.

"Shut up," he snapped.

Miroku laughed and then got serious again. "So, have you found a project yet?"

Miroku was talking about something that Inu-yasha did every year. Basically, Inu-yasha had one big goal for the year. It didn't matter what it was, the only rule was that he had to have it done before the year was over. His ex-girlfriend had gotten him started on it.

Back in 8th grade, Inu-yasha had a girlfriend named Kaori. She had been in the hospital for one and a half years before she'd meet Inu-yasha for some type of cancer that he'd forgotten the name of. When she finally pulled out of her illness, she went back to school. That's when she met Inu-yasha. They were inseparable for months. Inu-yasha thought of her as his first true love. She had the biggest blue eyes he'd ever seen and thick brown hair that was about as long as his. She had a soft smile that went well with her cream colored skin. A few freckles dotted the bridge of her nose. He loved her for her kind heart though, not her looks. She just happened to be a good-looking girl so it was a bonus. Her kind heart sort of balanced out the bad in his.

During their months together, a little boy in the 6th grade had been diagnosed with leukemia and had to stay in the hospital. She'd felt sorry for him and could relate. She decided to get the whole community to make 'get well soon' cards. It took a while and she had everyone keep it a secret from the boy. Right before homecoming dance, she had nearly ten thousand cards, and she stopped by his hospital bed and gave them all to him. She knew how good it felt to receive get well cards from friends. The day before homecoming, they'd found out that the diagnosis was wrong. Everyone at the school believed it was her good deed, not good luck.

Unfortunately, Kaori had to move after that school year.Inu-yasha andsheloved each other very much, but they both decided they'd be better off if they stopped seeing each other. Neither of them believed in long-distance relationships and they figured they were still very young and should see other people.

Although the break-up was tough, Inu-yasha did get over it and her, but in memory of her, he'd started to make one huge goal a year. He called it his 'project.' Since he was such a prankster, he decided it didn't necessarly have to be a nice deed. There was no way in hell that was going to happen.Kaori didn't do it to become something annual, she just wanted to show the little boy that he mattered in the world. But Inu-yasha felt it was his obligation to do it.

"Well?" Miroku whispered slightly impatiently, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Huh? Oh, no not yet. Jeez, it's only the first day of school. I still have a whole year."

Miroku was just about to say something back but Myoga-sensei cut him off. "So, you feel like you don't have to pay attention?" he said loudly.

Inu-yasha looked up and soon discovered that the teacher wasn't speaking loudly, he was just standing right next to him. He nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Woah old man, don't scare me like that!" he said.

"Ah, I see we have a class clown in here," Myoga said crossly.

"Yup, that's me!" Inu-yasha said smugly. He stood up and bowed to the teacher. "Inu-yasha Taisho, at your service!"

"Yes, well," Myoga-sensei said a little uncomfortable by the gesture since the whole class was snickering. "Since you're up, why don't you tell us your grade and an interesting fact about yourself?"

"Wouldn't mind if I do Myoga-sensei," he said in a TV talk show voice. "As I said before, my name is Inu-yasha Taisho, I'm a junior and I'm the son of the owner of Taisho Cybernetics," he said, unable to keep the note of pride out of his voice.

Before Myoga-sensei could respond, a girl from the classroom shouted, "Taisho Cybernetics? _The _Taisho Cybernetics?" Several other students murmured excitedly.

"Yes, the one and only," he replied.

Many students murmured 'wow's and 'I can't believe he's in _my_ class' and several other comments regarding his looks (of course he smiled smugly at those).

"So, that means you have, like, a lot of money?" Kami spoke up in her annoying voice.

"Yes my dear gold digger..." he said. He shook his head suddenly and then said, "I mean money grubber! No, I mean ugly whore! I mean… I'm so sorry!" Several students were laughing now, which was what Inu-yasha wanted. Kami looked red from embarrassment and anger. "Aww, is little Kami embarrassed because I told the truth?" The class exploded in laughter. Kami looked like she was about to throw a chair at him. Inu-yasha noticed the girl who was doodling earlier laughing softly. He suddenly wanted to know what her laugh sounded like… Her raven hair blocked most of her face but he could see her eyes which were full amusement.

"Alright kids! That's enough!" Myoga finally spoke up. He walked to the front of the room, his back to most of the kids, but Inu-yasha caught the grin on his face. He smiled smugly, all thoughts about the girl temporarily forgotten.

They finished the introductions without anymore interruption. Inu-yasha listened closely to see if he could catch the name of the raven-haired girl but she never spoke. He guessed that she introduced herself when Miroku and he were talking.

"Okay, where you're sitting now is your assigned seat for the next couple of weeks or so," Myoga-sensei said. He went behind his desk and then said, "When I call your name please come up to get your book."

For some reason, Inu-yasha's heart skipped a beat when he realized that that meant he could still find out the girl's name. He baffled himself for wanting to know her name so bad. He decided to ignore it.

He waited impatiently as the teacher called student after student. "Kami… Johanna…. Hojo… Kouga… Tyme…" It seemed the list would go on forever. Finally he said, "Kagome…" The girl stood up and he was so caught up in watching her go to the front of the classroom that he almost didn't hear Myoga-sensei call his name. He hurried to the front, trying to catch her eye as she went back to her seat. She looked straight ahead but Inu-yasha smiled at her anyway.

Kagome… he wondered what her last name was… _No, _he told himself. _Quit getting so caught up in some girl you know nothing about. _After he sat back down, however, he still looked her direction through the rest of the teacher's yammering.

When the bell rang, he was snapped out of his daze. He watched her get up and go out the door. Suddenly, he made up his mind. He was going to follow her.

"Hey," Miroku said. He paused and gave him a weird look. "You alright, man?"

"Oh, yeah, sure," he said distractingly without looking at his friend.

Miroku followed his friends gaze and saw Kagome just before she went out the door. "Oh, I get it now," he said with understanding. "Go and do what you must."

"I'm not like you Miroku," Inu-yasha said. "I'm not going to her to grope her… I just wanna… talk…"

Miroku blinked. "W—" he paused, "What?"

"Sorry buddy, gots to go," Inu-yasha said with a determined glint in his eye. Miroku just looked after his friend in confusion. _Whatever, his lose, _he thought with a shrug and hurriedly caught up with the blond from earlier.

Inu-yasha looked both ways when he got out the door. He looked desperately for her in the sea of students. He finally spotted her and went after her, bumping into people along the way. He didn't notice at all. His eyes trained on her form, he made his way down the hallway. In the back of his mind he realized he was going the way to his next class. She turned down a nearly deserted hallway and he saw it as his chance to catch up to her. Readjusting his grip on his books, he quickened his pace. Just as he was rounding the corner, he bumped into a small body and both of their books went flying. The body he bumped into practically flew backwards onto the floor and their butt. He moved but not enough to fall.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Inu-yasha exclaimed. "I was… kinda in a hurry and didn't…" Then he saw who he'd bumped into. It was her, Kagome! She was rubbing her butt with her hands and wincing when he looked at her. "Um… please, let me help you up," Inu-yasha said after he wiped the goofy look on his face. He held out his hand for her. She looked at it uncertainly. "Oh, I don't bite, promise," he said kindly, "well, not beautiful young girls anyway." He winked.

She smiled shyly and took his hand. When he pulled up, he overestimated her weight and pulled too hard. She came crashing down on him, putting them in an... interesting position.

"Woah, you're a fast one," he laughed. She blushed and hurriedly got off of him, much to his relief. He didn't let it show on his face but if she'd stayed on top of him any longer, well, let's just say she would've met his "friend" a little earlier than he would have liked.

She started to pick up her stuff before he even got up. "Woah, are you in a hurry?" Just then the late bell rang.

She sighed and said, "Not anymore."

Inu-yasha laughed nervously and said, "Sorry." All she said was two words but he already loved her voice.

"That's okay. It was my fault. I had forgotten something in my last class and was in a hurry to get it back. I wasn't looking where I was going."

"Oh, no, I wasn't looking where I was going either. I was…" he stopped because he realized that he couldn't just say 'I was following you, trying to get your number.' "…Um…" Then he grinned casually. Who said he couldn't say that? "I was following you."

Her eyes widened in surprise. He almost forgot their whole conversation when he looked into her chocolate brown eyes. They were so big, especially when they were widened in surprise… _Surprise? Why was she surprised again?_ he thought.

"You were following me?" she asked, snapping him out of his quick daze.

"Uh, yeah." He sounded so stupid!

"Why?"

He paused for a moment and regained his composure. "I was wondering if maybe you wanted to, you know, go to the movies with me sometime."

She looked at him and he almost got lost in her eyes again. "I'm sorry. I'm sure you're a nice guy, but I'm not interested."

Well, _that _was definitely not what Inu-yasha had expected. He wasn't one to brag but he knew that he had the looks and the money to get virtually any girl he wanted… So what was with this girl?

As she walked away in the direction shecame from,she used one slim gentle finger to lift his jaw back into place.

_Oh, she did not just do that, _he thought. "Hey!" he said when he found his voice again.

She turned around gracefully. "What do you want?" she said it with impatience, yet it wasn't a completely mean tone.

He was slightly confused by her tone and how she made it sound like that but he regained his previous train of thought and said, "But you didn't even give me a chance!"

"Like I said," she said in a kind voice, "I'm sure you're a sweet guy, but I'm not interested." She said the last two words very slowly.

"Then will you let me make you interested?" he said with a sly grin.

She looked at him in thought. For a second he thought she was going to say yes. "No," she said flatly. Then she turned on her heel and left.

His jaw fell open again. He just stared at her as she rounded the corner. Suddenly, he smiled mischievously.

_I believe, _he thought, _I just found my project._

**Yay! And it's the end of chapter two. In this chapter, there were more funny words than actions, but it works. I hope it wasn't too confusing, with Kaori and all.Yes, she was someone I made up. I need the other characters for something else... dun dun duuuuun! By the way, since I'm kinda new, I'm not sure if my chapters are too long or too short or what, so I hope it's okay the way it is. Anyway, I hope you liked it and _please_ review! Oh, and thank you to those who have already reviewed. It really keeps me going! Thanx! **

**Hiko18**


	3. Chapter 3: Round Two

**Finally! Chapter 3 is here! I really didn't think it'd take this long to get it done. Homework is killin' me. It's a bit longer than the other two. It seems they just keep getting longer and longer. Anyway, enjoy!**

**Chapter 3**

**Round Two**

Inu-yasha could almost feel the sting his pride took. She'd just walked away! He could honestly say that no girl had ever done that to him. In fact, he was the one who was walking away, and in most cases, he was _running _away. But if she thought that she had turned him off her, she had another thing coming.

_It's official, _he thought. _She's my project. I just _have_ to know why she did that. She said she wasn't interested, but I get the feeling there's more to it. I'm going to find out what it is. Now, to make it officially official, I have to tell Miroku._

Inu-yasha gathered his almost forgotten books from the ground, still gazing in the direction she'd gone. He walked in the same direction because his class was the same way. He rounded the corner and looked at the room numbers as he walked by. His next class was with someone named Honshu-sensei. He taught algebra. _Math, _Inu-yasha thought. _Oh, joy!_

Room 201 was only two doors down from the corner. He sighed and opened the door. Needless to say, everyone in the whole room turned around to look at him. Inu-yasha was used to attention so it didn't bother him as much as it would to someone else.

A man who Inu-yasha guessed was Honshu-sensei said, "And who are you?" He was young, maybe in his mid-twenties, and looked like he'd just shaved the day before. His dark brown hair curled in soft locks around his forehead. His clever sapphire eyes could make any woman speechless. He was standing behind his desk with his hands on the desk, holding his muscular frame up.

"Inu-yasha. And you're Honshu-sensei?"

The man nodded sharply and then said, "Would you mind telling me why you're late?" Inu-yasha had the feeling that although the teacher looked rather handsome (**remember, this is a girl writing this fanfiction… Inu isn't gay or anything**), he was strict with his students.

"The bell rang before I could get here." This earned a few giggles. "I'm just kidding," Inu-yasha said when he saw the dark look on the teacher's face. "No need to get all scary…" A few more soft giggles were heard. "No, really? I got lost, but one of the security officers told me where to go." It was so easy for him to lie. His voice never shook or stuttered and he trained his eyes to stay natural and not betray him. Only Miroku could tell when he was lying and he didn't know how Miroku did it.

The teacher looked at him darkly for a few seconds and then said, "Sit down."

Inu-yasha shrugged. He was used to hostility whether it was from a student or a teacher. He sat down smack in the middle of the room. He glanced around at the students briefly and recognized the boy named Hojo from his earlier class and a few other students.

"Okay," the teacher said in his low deep voice. "Let's get started."

Needless to say, the rest was history to Inu-yasha. He didn't pay any attention to anything said afterward the books were handed out. He spent the hour letting his eyes roam around the room and other students. As the teacher talked, Inu-yasha let his thoughts roam to the girl, Kagome.

_I don't know what it was about her that caught my eye, _he thought._ It couldn't have been her looks since I can't really see anything with those baggy clothes of hers. And it couldn't have been her personality because I've never talked to her before. This is frustrating. What kind of spell does she cast over me? And if she did something like that, why did she turn me down when I asked her out? _His thoughts started to get more and more ridiculous. But he allowed it. Maybe he could find something out… _Either way, _he thought, _I will win her over. I haven't got the slightest clue how, but I'll find out._

The rest of the hour dragged by with no other incidents since Inu-yasha was so caught up in his thoughts. In fact, the rest of the morning went that way. His next two classes, English and art, were full of rules and books, just like the first two classes. He did have Miroku in his art class which was the class before lunch so they walked to lunch together. As they walked, Inu-yasha told Miroku about his new-found project.

"I've found it," Inu-yasha declared.

"Found what?" Miroku asked.

"My project of course."

Miroku gave him an accusing look. "What happened to 'Jeez, it's only the first day os school and—"

"Yeah, yeah," Inu-yasha cut him off. "I know. But I found it earlier than I thought I would."

"So…?" Miroku hinted. Inu-yasha didn't catch it. "Well, are you just going to leave me hangin' or what?"

"No," he snapped. "Do you remember that girl you saw me following out of the room earlier? Well, she's my project. Her name is Kagome, by the way." The two were just getting into the cafeteria.

Miroku stared at him blankly. "So… What do you plan to do to her? Kill her?"

"No, actually, the opposite."

Miroku looked thoughtful for a moment before saying, "What's the opposite of death?" They got into line for a burger.

Inu-yasha sighed. "You really are clueless."

"Oh, well forgive me! You're the one holding everything back."

Inu-yasha sighed again. "I'm going to make her my girlfriend."

Miroku stared at him blankly again. "You say that like you were going to force her…" Inu-yasha could see the slightly scared look in his face.

"Oh hell, no! I'm not going to force her! I'm not some kind of psycho!"

"Are you sure about that?" Miroku snickered. Inu-yasha growled. Miroku got serious again. "Wait, did you ask her already?"

"Oh course I did! That's why she's my project."

Miroku looked like he was about to explode with laughter. "You mean… she… turned you down?" He had to say it slowly so his laughter wouldn't escape.

Inu-yasha reddened. "Yeah," he said in a small voice. Miroku couldn't hold it. He laughed at his friend. Inu-yasha reddened more. "Shut up. It's isn't funny."

Miroku controlled himself after a while. "Sorry… So… what exactly did she say?"

"I asked and she said 'I'm sure you're a sweet guy but I'm not interested'" Miroku started laughing again. "I know, who says that these days? It's a 'yes' or 'no' question—"

"I can't believe she called _you _sweet!" Miroku burst out laughing. "Oh, that's a _good _one!"

"Don't push it," Inu-yasha threatened.

"Just kidding," Miroku said with a nervous laugh. Miroku paid for his food and waited for Inu-yasha to get his.

"Anyway, she didn't even give me a chance. So, that's my project: to find out what's up with her."

"Ever thought that she was telling the truth?"

Inu-yasha opened his mouth then stopped. He honestly hadn't thought of that. "No… but even if she was, I'm going to make her interested," he said. Miroku sighed. They both had their food so they started to walk over to the tables.

Just then, something caught Inu-yasha's eye just before he was going to sit where he and Miroku had been sitting for the last two years. There she was again, Kagome, his next girlfriend. He grinned and told Miroku that he'd see him later.

"Where are you goin'?" Inu-yasha pointed. "Oh, I see. Time for round two?" Inu-yasha nodded and left. Miroku had the feeling that the score was going to be two-to-zero soon.

Inu-yasha casually walked over and plopped himself down right across from Kagome. "Hi, how are you?" He picked up a French fry and popped it into his mouth, never leaving eye-contact with the girl.

She blinked in disbelief. Inu-yasha grinned smugly. "Didn't I already tell you I wasn't interested?" she said in annoyance when she found her voice again.

"Ya sure did," Inu-yasha said, chewing on another French fry and acting like this kind of conversation happened all the time. He looked at her face which clearly stated 'then why the hell are you here?' He chuckled softly. "You didn't think I'd go away that easily did ya?"

"N-No," she stuttered. "Well, actually, yes. Everyone else did…"

"I'm not everyone else," Inu-yasha said, keeping eye contact (although he did notice that she stopped eating since he got there). "I don't give up that easily."

Kagome growled in annoyance. "You'd better. You won't get any further with me."

"I'll be the judge of that."

"Oh, believe me," she said narrowing her eyes, "you won't."

"What makes you so certain?"

She didn't answer and instead took a huge bite of her burger. When she was done chewing she said, "Well, every guy knows that for them to score with the girl, he has to gether friends to like him and be well-mannered, am I right?" Inu-yasha nodded. "Yes, well, right now you don't look like you're very good at either." For the first time, he noticed that he was talking to her while chomping away at his food. And then, he saw that Kagome was looking past him. He turned and saw a girl about Kagome's age. She had red eye-shadow, pale skin, and long flow-y brown hair in a loose ponytail. She didn't look too happy.

Kagome smiled kindly at her. "Sango, met Inu-yasha. Inu-yasha, met Sango. Um… you're in her seat." Inu-yasha moved over quickly and said, "Sorry…"

Sango ignored him and asked Kagome, "How long is he going to sit here?"

Inu-yasha was just about to say something along the lines of 'hello, I'm still here' but Kagome cut him off. "He _won't _be staying long, I assure you." Then she completely lost her kind smile and a glare took its place. "Are you done talking to me? Because I'm _definitely_ done talking to you."

Inu-yasha just gawked. He was about a millisecond away from exploding on her but he'd have to let his pride take yet another stab. If he didn't control it then there would be no chance to win her over. This girl had no idea how difficult she was being, he'd bet. So, he cleared his throat and stood up. "So sorry ladies," he said through gritting teeth. He turned to Sango. "Nice to meet you Sango." He turned to Kagome. "I'll talk to you later." Before he gloomily went back to his seat next to Miroku he heard Kagome say "I doubt it," and Sango giggled.

Inu-yasha sat next to Miroku and let out a sigh of defeat.

"Let me think," Miroku said and then continued in an announcer's voice, "and the winner is…Kagome!"

"Shut up," he warned halfheartedly. He didn't feel like finding some other snappy come back.

"Why her if she's that bad?" Miroku asked.

"I don't know," Inu-yasha sighed. "I think it's just… instincts or something."

Miroku looked at his friend as said, "If it were me I'd have already given up."

"Hell no!" Inu-yasha said almost too loudly. Nearby students glanced in his direction along with a few teachers. "I can't. At first, I just wanted to see if I could to it, which is still true, but now it's also a matter of pride. If I give up then she wins. There's no way in hell I'm going to loose to a fucking girl. And the fact that she's a challenge only makes me want to win her over even more." The determined glint in his eye told Miroku that he'd done his part. All Miroku had to do was even suggest that he should quit and Inu-yasha's pride handled the rest.

Suddenly, Inu-yasha got an idea. "Miroku…" Whenever Inu-yasha trailed of like that, it was almost never a good thing, so it was right of Miroku to get slightly scared. Suddenly, Inu-yasha planted a huge smile on his face and put an arm around Miroku. "Hey, buddy…"

Now Miroku turned slightly whitish and very tense. "Oh Lord…" Miroku squeezed his eyes shut.

"Oh come on, Miroku ol' buddy ol' pal. You have to do this for me!"

Miroku rubbed his temples. "I'm almost too afraid to ask but what?"

"I just want to see if she's only mean to me. Just, you know, do what you do and see if she's mean to you like she's mean to me." Miroku suddenly got a very bad and common look on his face. "Oh God, don't you even think about touching her! I will kill you." Inu-yasha loved his childhood friend dearly (they went all the way back to elementary school), but he felt very possessive over the girl for some reason.

"Don't worry!" Miroku said too cheerfully. "I won't. Be right back."

Inu-yasha watched Miroku go over the Kagome. She was happy and smiling with Sango and almost didn't even notice Miroku. He watched Miroku say a nice greeting and Kagome accepted it and offered one back. He didn't have a clue what they were saying but it seemed that his guess was right. Miroku had Kagome laughing and grinning like there was no tomorrow. It almost made his jealous… that is until Miroku said something that upset Kagome. Inu-yasha was about to go over there to pound Miroku's face in. He had a feeling that Miroku had asked her his infamous question (**ya'll know what I'm talking about right? hehe)**.

But something was different. Whenever Miroku asked that question he made his face completely serious. But Miroku had said whatever he said with a happy attitude. Then he seemed to be trying to convince Kagome of something, but Kagome was shaking her head and refusing to talk to Miroku anymore. Sango was looking at Miroku the same way Kagome was and Miroku hadn't even talked to her. Miroku looked at Kagome in defeat and then started to walk back over to Inu-yasha.

"Well?" Inu-yasha said as soon as Miroku was close enough.

Miroku sat down. "She was fine, seemed very nice. But as soon as I said that I was your friend she didn't want to have anything else to do with me. Same with her friend."

"So it is just me. What the hell did I ever do to her!" Inu-yasha said this too loudly and grabbed the attention of a security guard.

"Shhh!" Miroku told him. Then in a lower voice he said, "Did you ever pull a prank on her before now?"

Inu-yasha thought for a second. "No. I've never seen her before now. She might be new to this school…"

"Maybe… Well, this was your idea, not mine. If she's such a challenge then find a new project."

"No!" The security guard started to glare at him; he was getting annoyed. "The project is supposed to be a challenge. As far as I know, this is only getting started." Inu-yasha's grin had mischief in it. Miroku was satisfied. It worked every time. Inu-yasha took a bite of his burger, the first bite he'd had since leaving Kagome's table.

After a while, Miroku said, "Hey, are we still doing that prank tomorrow night?" They had planned to tepee a house near the school. They'd always wanted to do it but only had just recently planned it.

"Sure are," Inu-yasha said through the bits of burger. "Why?"

"I was just wondering where we're meeting."

"My house around 12:00. It should be dark enough by then. And don't forget your half of the supplies."

"You always tell me that but I've never done it before."

"That's because I always remind you." Inu-yasha finished his food and stood up. He was restless and needed to do something before the bell rang. He had that familiar feeling in his stomach, the one that told him it'd been too long since he'd had a good laugh. "Come on," he told Miroku. "I think we should start early this year…" Miroku got a mischievous look too. He didn't have to ask what he meant, he was used to this "feeling" that Inu-yasha got. (Inu-yasha tried to explain this feeling to Miroku once and even after he'd explained it three times, Miroku still didn't really get it.) Over the years that Miroku and Inu-yasha had been together, Inu-yasha seemed to have passed the "feeling" onto Miroku although he didn't get it nearly as often as Inu-yasha did. But he loved it just as much as Inu-yasha did.

The two casually walked outside and as soon as they were out of the guard's sight, they dashed around the corner of the school.

Ten minutes later, the two walked back into the lunch room, both with ideas about the reaction to what they'd done. They'd sneaked into the back and took all the hair nets and gloves. They were replaced with ice they'd found in the freezer and the hair nets and gloves replaced the apron cupboard. The aprons were thrown in the freezer. They'd sneaked into the kitchen a lot and it was easy to do and to find the things they wanted. They locked the back door all the time but Inu-yasha never went anywhere without a paperclip.

Neither Inu-yasha nor Miroku had a clue what they were going to do when they'd reached the back door. They did that often. They'd just do it, not thinking about it. They were both creative enough come up with something on the spot so it wasn't that hard.

They didn't do anything too bad today since it was the first day of school. They'd been there long enough to know that the ladies were old and tired after work, and didn't really bother to actually look where they threw their aprons. (Inu-yasha skipped class once to track the actions of the lunch ladies so that it'd be easier to prank them. That was a _long_ day…) And their gloves and hair nets were just thrown away. So their prank wouldn't even be noticed until the next day. Even knowing that, Inu-yasha still felt better, the feeling in his stomach gone for now.

Inu-yasha looked hopefully at the kids eating, his eyes scanning. Then he let out a depressed sigh.

"Trying to get on with round three already?" Miroku asked smiling.

"Yeah… Oh, well, we still have two classes left. Maybe I'll get lucky…"

Miroku sighed. "Just relax, you still have the rest of the year."

Just then the bell rang. Miroku changed the subject to something else as they walked to their lockers. It turned out that Miroku had class with Inu-yasha the last two classes, Science and Gym. They found the class room easily and sat down. A pleasant woman, maybe in her mid-thirties, was behind the teacher's desk. She had short redish brown hair that outlined her tanned face. She had kind brown eyes and slim glasses sat on the bridge of her nose. She smiled at them as the two passed her desk. Inu-yasha liked her.

The passing period dragged by and Inu-yasha and Miroku talked about some pranks they'd pull in the coming days while watching who came in the class.

Suddenly, a very familiar looking girl came in. It was Kami, the annoying girl from their first class. When she saw the two, she narrowed her eyes but didn't say anything. Inu-yasha was thankful for that; he really hated her voice. Then another familiar person came in. Inu-yasha froze.

Sesshomaru. Oh boy.

Inu-yasha was sure that he was still hot from that morning. Sesshomaru glared but didn't say anything either. He sat on the opposite side of the room, much to Inu-yasha's relief. Inu-yasha made a mental note to bolt out the door when the class was over. Over the course of the ten minutes they had to get to class from lunch, other familiar people came in, Hojo and Kouga from first period among them.

Just before the bell _she _came in. Kagome. Inu-yasha's heart leapt again. She seemed to be distracted and ruffled, as if she had to hurry to class. She was looking for a place to sit when she saw Inu-yasha. He smiled. She glared. Then Inu-yasha smiled even wider when he saw that the only open seat was _right_ next to him, to his right. He patted the desk-top smugly. She rolled her eyes and sighed annoyed, but she reluctantly walked over.

"Hi," Inu-yasha said just a tad too cheerfully. Kagome just scoffed. "How was your lunch?" Inu-yasha said it really just to get her talking but she didn't say a word and instead took out some paper. He mentally growled. Then he got an idea. He too took out paper and scribbled something down. He folded it up and then he passed it to her. At first, he thought she'd just toss it, but she, obviously curious, opened it.

_If you won't talk to me then will you write to me, _it said. She wrote something down and gave it back.

_No. _Inu-yasha smiled. Then he wrote, _So are you ever going to talk to me?_

_I most likely won't have a choice. _The bell had rung by now.

_You're right about that, I won't give up. _Miroku started to get curious. He wondered why they were passing a note when they were right next to each other.

_Why not? Why don't you know when to give up?_

_You tell me. I haven't got the slightest clue. _The teacher introduced herself as Jizani-sensei but Inu-yasha was hardly paying attention. He was too happy about the fact that he was actually talking, well writing, to Kagome.

_What do you mean?_

_I mean that I don't have a clue as to why I followed you earlier. _

_Really? Interesting. _Jizani started to explain the rules of her class.

_Did you put a spell on me or something? _He hoped that she wouldn't think that comment was going to end in some lame pick-up line. She looked at it funny but wrote back anyway.

_Why would I if I was just going to refuse you anyway?_

_That's what I thought. So, if I keep bugging you, will you eventually give in?_

_No._

_Why not?_

_Because._

_That _definitely_ tells me a lot. _The teacher started to notice the little exchange…

_Maybe I don't want to tell you a lot._

_Why not? _He never found out. He'd passed the note and Kagome had a chance to read it but the teacher snatched it just as Kagome was going to pass it back.

"Well, what have we here?" Jizani asked smiling politely. It seemed the whole room shook when everyone turned their heads to see what was going on.

"Nothing, " Inu-yasha and Kagome said instinctively and in unison.

Jizani's eyes scanned the paper and she smiled. "Aw, isn't that cute? Hmm, should I read it out loud?" All the students (with the exceptions of Kami and Sesshomaru) shook their heads vigorously and a few yelled 'yeah!' Inu-yasha started to change her mind about the teacher. "Hmm… I won't this time but I will next time. Let this be a warning, okay class?" Some of the students groaned but nodded their heads. Inu-yasha decided the teacher was cool after all. It was a good thing too; he already had too many teachers he had to prank.

Kagome sighed in relief. Then she glared at Inu-yasha like it was all _his_ fault, even though the teacher took the note when _she _was passing it. Inu-yasha felt huffy the rest of the class, which consisted of books, rules, talking, and glares from Kagome, Kami, and Sesshomaru.

The bell rang and Inu-yasha, remembering his mental note from earlier, flew out the door. He didn't wait for Miroku, figured that he'd talk to him in gym. He hastily went to the other end of the school to the gymnasium.

Inu-yasha leaned against the wall of the gym sighing in relief. He'd made it safely to his next class. For a second, he thought Sesshomaru was going to pound him right in front of Kagome. That _definitely _wasn't going to happen.

Inu-yasha was just dozing off when Miroku came in. He jogged over to Inu-yasha and started conversation.

"What was the hurry?"

It was a one word answer. "Sesshomaru."

"Oh yeah…" Miroku hesitated before he said, "So, did you get anywhere with Kagome?"

Inu-yasha closed his eyes again. "Only that she isn't going to talk to me and she isn't going to give in."

"Why not?"

"I don't know. That was when the teacher took the note."

"Oh."

Suddenly Inu-yasha's face got pale. Miroku followed his line of vision and almost burst out laughing. "So much for running!" he gasped.

Sesshomaru… again! Inu-yasha groaned. But he didn't mind too much. Kagome wasn't there to witness his death.

Then Inu-yasha got as white as a sheet. Miroku once again followed his line of vision and once again burst out laughing. This time he couldn't talk though, he was laughing too hard.

There was Kagome. Inu-yasha thought that he had the _worst _luck ever.

It wasn't long before the two noticed him. They both headed the other way. Inu-yasha didn't mind Sesshomaru going but Kagome… Even though he really wanted to talk to her, he didn't want to risk getting in Sesshomaru's way. He was certain by now that Sesshomaru had something big in mind for his revenge. _Can't wait, _Inu-yasha thought sarcastically.

The bell rang but there still wasn't a teacher there so Miroku and Inu-yasha talked. Ten minutes later, a very athletic looking man rushed in. He had short graying hair and grayish blue eyes. His face looked almost fifty but his frame suggested he was just reaching thirty. He ran into his office and then jogged out.

"I'm _so _sorry class," he announced. His deep-ish voice echoed off the walls. "I didn't the principal was going to keep me in his office that long. Okay, first things first. You may call me George. Please, don't call me anything else. I just don't like it." Inu-yasha liked him. He thought his name was weird but he like it. "Alright, seating chart. Um, I don't really use those. Usually, when you come in, just get dressed in your clothes and you can just talk the rest of the time until class starts." (**Wouldn't we all love to have a gym teacher like that? Lol) **George went on to explain his rules which were just basic stuff. He told the class what they'd learn and what they needed to bring within the next week.

Inu-yasha started to tune him out. He just stole looks at Kagome (and his brother). He wondered if she was still mad (but he didn't even have to wonder if his half-brother was still mad).

Then the teacher said, "Alright well, we can't do much today so I'll give you a choice. We can either play a game of kickball or you all can just do whatever you want." The second option won over and everyone just talked. Some boys asked the George for basketballs and they started a lively game. Inu-yasha, deciding that he'd rather wait for his pounding from Sesshomaru, joined the game and Miroku started to follow some girls around.

As Inu-yasha played, he noticed Kagome looking at Sesshomaru, who'd stayed in his same spot. He felt a pang of jealousy and didn't play as well the rest of the game.

The bell rang. Inu-yasha was going see if Kagome would talk to him when he spotted her _talking to Sesshomaru! _Inu-yasha could've died from the stab of jealousy that hit him. He was just about to march over there to set Sesshomaru straight when Miroku caught his shirt collar and walked to the door.

"Remember? Sesshomaru plus Inu-yasha equal death."

"But! He's talking to my girlfriend!"

"Correction: he's talking to a girl. She isn't your girlfriend yet." By now Miroku and Inu-yasha had made it halfway down the hallway and Miroku let go of Inu-yasha's collar but made sure he kept up.

Inu-yasha got frustrated. "Dammit! But… She… Her… He…"

"Just give it up." Inu-yasha let out an annoyed/depressed/angry sigh. He mumbled 'feh'. Neither of them had homework so they dropped by their lockers to put their stuff away and then they went outside. They said bye and then went to their separate cars.

As Inu-yasha drove out of the parking lot he thought, _What a hell of a first day of school._

**And that's chapter three. Sorry it took so long. I really don't have enough time to proofread it all the way. My internet goes off at 1:00 and it's almost that time. I want this chapter up before then though. Anyway, just so you know, this fanfic is mostly going to be in Inu-yasha's POV but some of it might be in Kagome's or someone else's. Kagome does have a past with someone, like Inu-yasha but I explain that later on. Alright, I'm _really _running out of time now so I have to go. Review! And thank you to those who have!**

**Hiko**


	4. Chapter 4: Bad Case of Karma

**Chapter Four! Finally! I'm so sorry about my last little author's corner. My dad cuts the internet off at 11:00 on weekdays so we don't spend all night on the internet and not get up for school. Last chapter, it was litterally 10:59 so I was kinda rushed. I honestly don't think I'm going to live through high school. Damn teachers are going to kill me with their damn homework. Anyway, I finally finished chapter four. I hope you like it. Oh, and I noticed that some people do the whole "previously on blah blah blah" in the beginning of their chapters. I think it'd be easier if I did too. Anyway, enjoy!**

**Previously on "The Project":**

"_Just give it up." Inu-yasha let out an annoyed/depressed/angry sigh. He mumbled 'feh'. Neither of them had homework so they dropped by their lockers to put their stuff away and then they went outside. They said bye and then went to their separate cars. _

_As Inu-yasha drove out of the parking lot he thought, _What a hell of a first day of school.

**Chapter Four**

**Bad Case of Karma**

Inu-yasha, relived that he'd beat Sesshomaru home, pulled up into his drive-way. He'd lived in this house his whole life. Sesshomaru hadn't though. Their father moved there when he'd found out Izayoi was pregnant. Sesshomaru'd lived in his mom's house for two years before that.

The house was large, but not too big. It was big enough to have a few maids and butlers around. There was a four car garage which Inu-yasha'd just pulled into. He walked in, jogged up the stairs (grinned when he'd saw a light red stain in it (from Sesshomaru's hair that morning)), and jumped on his fluffy bed. He sighed.

_One down, _he thought. He was already tired. He was going to take a nap but just then he heard the front door open. No doubt, it was Sesshomaru. Inu-yasha was going to lock his door so that he could delay his pounding but then he remembered that he was talking to his (future) girlfriend when gym was over. Just the thought made Inu-yasha's blood boil. He bravely marched out of his room and into the direct line of vision of Sesshomaru.

"Hey, you know that girl you were talking to after the bell rang in gym?" He decided to get right to the point. His brother didn't say anything or even nod but Inu-yasha continued anyway. "What did she say?"

"Why do you care?" Sesshomaru snapped, trying to walk past his little brother and to his room. He was blocking the way so Sesshomaru had to answer.

"I just do."

"Go ask her. She was the one who was talking to me." Inu-yasha's jaw dropped slightly. _She _started the conversation! Sesshomaru took advantage of Inu-yasha's shock and went past him and in the room.

Inu-yasha should've figured that his brother didn't start talking because, well, he never talks to anyone he doesn't know. But he didn't expect _her _to go to _him. _He just couldn't accept it for some reason. She knew that he liked her. She was just toying with him. Either way, he'd be asking what the hell that was all about.

Inu-yasha also thought it was odd that Sesshomaru didn't beat him down. In fact, their conversation, although short, was actually _normal._ It wasn't possible that Sesshomaru forgotten what happened that morning… right?

Inu-yasha decided he didn't have a problem with that though. Inu-yasha was tired of sitting around in his room and, after a while, wondered around, looking for Tami, their maid who they treated like family. He wanted to see if she had any advice for him and his project issue.

Inu-yasha wondered around the large house. Their house wasn't really a mansion but it was larger than a normal house. Inu-yasha liked it that way though. He didn't like too much space but he didn't want to live in a closet. He wondered in and out of doors, making his way to the kitchen. That's were Tami usually could be found. And she was there.

"Hey, Tami," Inu-yasha said cheerfully.

"Hi baby," Tami said. She knew that Inu-yasha had a mother, and a very good one at that, but it was just her nature to act motherly to everyone.

There were only three people who Inu-yasha was nice to, well, in his own special way: Tami, his mom, and Miroku. He usually laughed _at _people, not _with _them but the exception where those three people. But it seemed that he'd have to add Kagome's name to his short list. (In the back of his mind he realized he still didn't know her last name.)

Inu-yasha saw Tami chopping up some onions. He wrinkled his nose but said, "Whatcha making?"

"Meatloaf." It wasn't his favorite but Tami somehow made all of her food taste divine.

"Hmm," Inu-yasha nodded.

Tami looked at him. "What's wrong?"

Inu-yasha laughed. She always saw right threw him, just like Miroku. "Nothing."

"Oh, don't give me that." Tami waved the knife in his direction and said, "You tell me the truth boy."

Inu-yasha sighed. "Well, there's this girl…"

"Ah, love life problems," Tami smiled understandingly.

"Yeah. She's just so… difficult," Inu-yasha said, frustrated.

"She's already your girlfriend?" Tami asked, slightly surprised since it was only the first day of school.

"No." Tami visibly relaxed.

"Then find someone else."

"I can't." Tami just stared at him. "I can't explain it; I'm just… drawn to her."

"Oh, I get it," Tami nodded understandingly. "That happened to me once. The guy was rude to me but I stuck with him. I realized later that he was already married."

Now Inu-yasha stared. "So are you saying that maybe she has a boyfriend already?"

"Well, if she did, she'd have told you by now right? Yes, so maybe there's some other reason for it."

"But there isn't anything else," Inu-yasha exasperated. "I've never done anything to her. What does she have against me?" Tami was just about to say something else when the echo of the door closing reached them. He smiled at Tami and said, "Talk to ya later," before going out to meet his mom.

"Hi Mom," Inu-yasha said while giving her a bear hug.

"Hello son. Have any homework?"

Inu-yasha groaned. "It's only the first day of school."

"Okay," Izayoi said. She looked around and then said, "Where's Sesshomaru?"

Inu-yasha scoffed and said, "In his room, where else?"

"Did you tell him you have his chores?" Inu-yasha gave her a guilty look. She sighed. "Your father can tell him if you don't want to." She said the relief in Inu-yasha's face. It was all a matter of pride. Even if Inu-yasha didn't really have to do them, he didn't want to see his brother's laughing when he told him. He'd be too tempted to throw the truth at his face, just to see Sesshomaru's reaction.

The two talked about school and work as she walked up the stairs to her room. Izayoi had flexible work hours and got off work early today, no doubt to look after the boys, especially after that morning. After some time, they separated, getting on with their daily activities.

Inu-yasha filled his afternoon with pranks on the other maids and butlers (he'd never do any on Tami though; she'd have his head cleaved off with her handy butcher knife), games, and avoiding Sesshomaru, which wasn't hard since he'd stayed in his room since he'd gotten home except to use the restroom.

When Inutaisho got home, he and Inu-yasha exchanged a greeting similar to the one he'd had with Izayoi. When they'd reached his room, however, Inutaisho closed the door, locked it, and whirled around to face Inu-yasha who was casually sitting on the bed.

"So what exactly happened this morning?" He sounded like a thirty old woman who gossiped on a regular basis.

Inu-yasha, who'd thought his dad was joking that morning, started off uneasily, but as he went on, it flowed more easily. Pretty soon they were both laughing and Inu-yasha was released from the room.

Dinner was quiet and polite. Sesshomaru didn't talk at all. Inu-yasha had a smug smile planted on his face the whole time, thinking Sesshomaru was _still _butt-hurt about what'd happened (which, of course, meant he'd done a _very _good job). Izayoi and Inutaisho talked about their issues at work, all of which were ignored by Inu-yasha and Sesshomaru. They both had too much on their minds.

When Sesshomaru was done, he excused himself quickly and went to his room. Inu-yasha thought it was to sulk some more and excused himself happily.

Inu-yasha had just dozed off when his cell phone vibrated. It was on his desk so the vibrating was loud. He sleepily grabbed it and flipped it open, not catching the name on the phone before he said, "Hello?"

"Inu-yasha?"

"Miroku! What do you want? I'm trying to sleep! What time is it?"

"It's almost eleven. Look, I just thought that maybe you wanted to move our little sneak-out date up."

"Huh?" Inu-yasha was still trying to fully awake.

"You know the house we were going to tepee tomorrow night?"

"Yeah," Inu-yasha said groggily.

"Let's do it tonight."

"What? Lord, I'm so tired, just wait until tomorrow." Inu-yasha was just about to hang up.

"Wait!" He did. "Come on, please? I can't sleep and I'm bored. Either way, I'm going to do it tonight so either you come or you don't."

"What?" Inu-yasha couldn't believe it. Miroku was going to leave him and do it himself when they'd been wanting to do this house for so long. "Oh, alright, you win. Come over in about an hour." Then Inu-yasha flipped the phone closed. He ran a hand over his face before flipping the covers off his body and getting black clothes.

Inu-yasha woke up by the warmth of the lemon-colored sunlight rays. The birds sung in perfect harmony and Inu-yasha allowed himself to listen to their glorious song for a few seconds. Their song was lulling him to sleep. He was so tired from the night before. He and Miroku were out until after two in the morning trying to finish the job.

Suddenly, thundering footsteps nearly shook Inu-yasha out of his bed. The sound created by foot connecting with floor was overwhelming. They were getting closer and closer until…

"INU-YASHA!" a deep voice roared. They pounded on the door, and it seemed the whole door would crumble at the force. Inu-yasha's face went deathly pale. He knew that voice and whenever it yelled, it meant death, or worse.

The person tried the door, but it was locked. Inu-yasha vaguely remembered locking it in case Sesshomaru tried to come in and pound him in his sleep. They hammered the door more. "INU-YASHA, OPEN THE DAMN DOOR!"

Inu-yasha scrabbled out of the bed, falling out of it in his haste. The sheets were twisted around his legs.

"INU-YASHA, IF YOU DON'T OPEN THIS DOOR _NOW, _I WILL BREAK IT DOWN!" But from the way he was pounding on the door, Inu-yasha'd guess that it would break anyway.

"Wait!" Inu-yasha yelled but his voice was drown out by the angry one. Inu-yasha desperately clawed at the merciless sheets but it was too late.

The door was kicked open, splinters of wood flying all over the place. The door flew open and slammed into the wall, no doubt making a dent and came swinging back. Even from the floor, Inu-yasha could plainly see the anger written, or rather _ironed, _on his father's face as he held the door open.

Then Inu-yasha burst out laughing. He could _not _believe what he was seeing. There his dad was, his face red with anger, with hot pink hair. Yes, his hair had been dyed pink and it was the _hottest _pink Inu-yasha had ever seen. Inu-yasha couldn't stop laughing and this only made Inutaisho madder.

"YOU'RE GROUNDED!" he bellowed, barely able to get the words through his anger.

"W-What! Why!" Needless to say, Inu-yasha was no longer laughing.

"DON'T _FUCK _WITH ME! YOU'RE GROUNDED!"

"Why?"

"Are you fucking blind!" Inutaisho roared. "You did _this_," he jabbed a finger at his destroyed hair "to me!"

"W-What? No I didn't!" Inu-yasha was yelling too but he was no match for his dad.

"Lying is just making it worse! You're grounded until further notice!" And he marched/stomped away.

Inu-yasha gawked after him. If he had a mirror, he could've seen that his jaw was practically dragging on the floor. Inu-yasha crawled (he was still tangled in the sheets) to the door and looked down the stairs and caught a glimpse of his dad's pink hair.

Then he heard a snicker behind him. He turned and there Sesshomaru was, arms crossed, with a smug smile planted on his face. Inu-yasha's blood boiled. He didn't even have to ask to know what'd happened. So that was what Sesshomaru decided to do to him to get even. Instead of killing, he got Inutaisho to do it for him. Clever.

_Damn karma, _Inu-yasha thought as he slammed the door shut, no longer wanting to see Sesshomaru's laughing face. _But you know what Sesshomaru? You've just started a war you can't win._

Inu-yasha drove to school soon after breakfast. He didn't even look at his dad or Sesshomaru, although he did pour salt on the rest of the breakfast, enough so that Sesshomaru wouldn't be able to stand it. It was only a small part of his payback.

Inu-yasha pulled up into his parking spot at school from the day before. He caught a glimpse of Miroku, who was making a bee-line for three girls (and their asses). Just as he was going to make it, Inu-yasha grabbed his collar, much like Miroku had the day before to him after gym.

"Hey! I was so close!" Of course that was Miroku who said that.

"You really have issues," Inu-yasha declared (**as if we didn't know, lol)**. Inu-yasha had walked a good ten yards away from them when he decided to let go of Miroku. Needless to say, Miroku pouted.

"Why'd you do that?"

"Hey, I like ass as much as the next guy but you're gonna get in trouble for that kinda stuff one day."

Miroku still pouted. "So, it's worth it," he mumbled. Inu-yasha scoffed.

"So, how much sleep did you get last night?" Inu-yasha asked after he saw Miroku yawn.

"Oh hell, probably three hours. It took me like a half hour to even get in my house. My mom was up for her late night snack or something and she almost caught me. I had to climb up that tree next to my room and jump through the window."

Inu-yasha snickered. "My family was knocked out." And then he remembered what Sesshomaru had done. "Well," Inu-yasha huffed, "Sesshomaru was up at one point. He dyed my dad's hair bright pink."

Miroku's jaw hung open. "And he got in trouble right?"

"No," Inu-yasha growled. "Dad blamed me. Sesshomaru's never pulled a prank before but I have done plenty. Dad thought I did it. So now, I'm grounded for life."

Miroku chuckled. "Too bad for you! Well, did you tell him the truth yet?"

"Haven't had a chance to yet. But even if I did, he wouldn't listen to me."

Miroku shrugged. "It's worth trying."

Inu-yasha sighed. "Yeah, I guess."

Just then, the bell rang. The two repeated what they did the day before, talking while going to their lockers. Inu-yasha had a hard time concentrating on their conversation though. He kept thinking about Kagome and what she'd said to Sesshomaru. He was glad they had the same class. He wanted to ask her what she'd said to him.

When they walked into Myoga-sensei's class, Inu-yasha's eyes immediately found Kagome. She was doodling on paper again. By the way her hand jerked, he'd guess she was in a bad mood. _Funny, _he thought, _how I can already tell what her mood is and I've only known her for a day._

Miroku went to his seat and Inu-yasha detoured. He sat in an empty seat next to her. He was going to go to his seat but for now he just _had _to know what his brother had said to her.

"Hi." Kagome frowned more than she already was. "Whatcha drawing?" He leaned over to look at her paper. It said (in perfect large cursive letters) 'fuck off, I'm not in the mood.' Apparently, she already knew he'd do this. Inu-yasha chuckled and said, "Is that so?"

Kagome glared. "Yes." He could've sworn there was poison dripping from her words.

"What's the matter?"

"It's none of your business." More poison.

"Suppose I'm making it my business." Kagome fully turned to look at him and her eyes were burning into his. Inu-yasha could almost see the flame licking her cocoa pupils. "Alright, I'm going." Even Inu-yasha wouldn't mess with that. Kagome smiled but it was clearly forced and it still held hostility. "Just answer one question before I go." Kagome growled in annoyance. "What did you say to that silver haired boy yesterday after school?" Inu-yasha decided not to use Sesshomaru's name since he wasn't sure she knew it or not.

"You mean Sesshomaru?" Apparently she did. Inu-yasha nodded, feeling betrayal for some reason, because she knew his name. Kagome looked at him quizzically.

"Just answer truthfully and I'll be gone," Inu-yasha said with a smile to let her know he wasn't lying.

Kagome stared for a little while longer and said, "I just asked if he had any connection to you. You two look so much alike." Inu-yasha was sure she could see the relief that washed over him. It was like a tsunami. He'd thought it was something more.

"What did he say?"

"He said you were his half-brother, although he did stress the half part."

That was all Inu-yasha needed to know. He didn't think she was lying, especially after she said he stressed the 'half.' "Thank you." Inu-yasha said kindly (odd, he'd thought, to be kind to her when she hadn't said a single nice thing to him yet (not to mention that it just wasn't his nature to be kind at all, no matter who it was)) and walked away. Kagome still had the burn in her eyes so he thought it best to stay away.

The bell conveniently rang just then. Myoga bustled into the classroom, busying himself with pulling papers from his black bag. He looked rushed.

"Good morning, class," he said as the last of the students seated themselves. "Well, as you can see, I'm running a little late…" He distractedly said still trying to get the papers out of his bag. Inu-yasha rolled his eyes. He was bored already.

"So," Miroku whispered, "did you get anything other than a glare out of her?" He liked to keep tabs on Inu-yasha's projects… to make sure he hadn't given up mostly. It was Miroku's way of looking after him since Inu-yasha was too proud to let him do anything else.

"Sure, if you could call it that. I just asked why she was talking to Sesshomaru." Inu-yasha saw Miroku's curious face. "She just wanted to know if we were related." Even now, Inu-yasha couldn't keep the relief out of his voice. "But I'm surprised I even got that. She seemed really pissed about something."

Miroku glanced in her direction. She had her eyes narrowed looking at the same piece of paper she was writing on earlier and was smashing her pencil into it and bringing it the length of the paper, not caring when it ripped. "Ya think?" he asked sarcastically. "What's up with her?"

"I don't know but it wasn't me this time. She was already pissed before I got there."

"Well, are you going to find out?"

Inu-yasha didn't want to admit that he was afraid of her. She just looked pure evil like that. He was actually relived when the teacher snapped at them for talking. Miroku and he semi-behaved themselves for the rest of the class, mostly so they wouldn't have to the teacher get after them again. He really was annoying, Myoga-sensei.

Throughout the class Inu-yasha kept glancing at Kagome, as he usually did. He was _worried _about her. He found that slightly unbelievable since she hadn't even thrown a single nice comment at him. He didn't like to see her mad, or in her case, _beyond infuriated_. He wondered what mad her so mad. Maybe she just had a bad morning but for her to be that mad, she'd have had to have fallen down the stairs with red ooze in her hair virtually naked, fall a second time in front of a gloating brother, and then yelled at by the dad. (**Sound familiar? Lol!)** He was itching to know but he didn't want to risk upsetting her even more. _Funny, _he though, _how I don't even want to risk upsetting her when she's done that and more to me. She had NO idea how hard this is._

The rest of his morning, he spent avoiding her, so as not to upset her further (it drove him crazierthat he went out of _his _way to make _her_ happy). It wasn't hard since he didn't have any more classes with her in the morning, but he still had that feeling all morning, the yearning to want to know what had upset her so he could fix it.

After English (**just so you know, they live in America, that's why they have English) **with Kaede-sensei, Inu-yasha went to the bathroom, his and Miroku's general meeting place. This time they were meeting so they could fully see the effects of their prank from the day before. Art with Takina-sensei wasn't as important as this. Just as the warning bell rang, Miroku showed up and the two sneaked out the back door. They went through the kitchen back door and hid in the shadows where they could see most of the kitchen and thus, the lunch ladies when they came in five minutes later.

They really had to try to not laugh out loud when the women looked in the apron cabinet and saw gloves and nets. They were pretty clueless and were arguing and blaming each other. It took them a while to think to look in the glove and net boxes to see if they could find out what had happened to their aprons. When they saw the ice they stopped arguing. They all pieced it together. The freezer.

Inu-yasha and Miroku were practically about to explode from holding it in too long. They decided they had to get out of there after the ladies put on the frozen aprons or they'd get caught. They were stupid, in Inu-yasha's eyes, for thinking that if they wore the aprons, they'd warm up faster. If it were him, he'd have ditched the aprons. He guessed they were so upset that they weren't thinking straight.

Inu-yasha and Miroku were soon outside in the chilly autumn wind. Then they started their laughing fest.

After wondering around for forty-five minutes (lunch was delayed… hmm… wonder why?), the boys went to lunch. They both noticed the lunch ladies seemed to be having a very bad day. After Inu-yasha sat down, he immediately looked at Kagome's table. She was still in her mood. Again, he wondered what it was. He managed to stop thinking about it when he and Miroku were spying on the cafeteria ladies but now it was back full force. Maybe he should ask he what was wrong…

"What are you doing?" Miroku asked when Inu-yasha stood up.

"It's bugging the hell out of me. I want to know what's got her in such a bad mood."

"Are you sure about this?" Miroku asked uncertainty.

"Am I ever sure?" Inu-yasha countered with a smile and walked over to Kagome and Sango.

_Oh God, he's just going to make it worse, _Miroku thought but he didn't even bother to try to stop him.

"Hey, Kagome," he said cheerfully and sat right next to her (although he was in a position that allowed him to make a quick escape if need be though.)

Glare. From Kagome and Sango.

"I thought you said he wouldn't be sitting here anymore," Sango said irritably.

"I did say that." Kagome turned to Inu-yasha, the fire in her eyes blazing even livelier, if that was even possible. "What do you want?"

Inu-yasha blinked at the hostility. "I just wanted to know why you're so mad." He decided to go ahead and not waste time. He had a feeling that she was going to chase him away soon anyway.

Kagome scoffed and said, "Why do you care?"

"How come you can't just answer the question?" he sighed.

Kagome growled and said, "Because I'm hoping that by asking you annoying questions you'll get the drift and go away."

Inu-yasha smiled through his anger. "It'd be easier if you just answered the question."

"Humph," Kagome said. "It really isn't any of your business. It's… a family problem."

Inu-yasha shrugged. That was the best he'd get out of her. He knew she was lying but he walked away anyway (after a friendly 'bye' and wave). He didn't want to push his luck too far in the beginning of the game. He couldn't believe how nice he was being to this girl. And he still didn't even know her last name. If he wasn't so interested in her, he'd have strangled her already.

Science consisted of watching Kagome doodle, talking to Miroku, and getting scolded at by Jizani-sensei. (Inu-yasha noticed that the kind woman didn't like to yell at her students and instead either warned them or playfully scolded them, like she did with his note the day before.)

About half way into the class, Miroku fell asleep on his desk, most likely from lack of sleep (they_ were_ up the night before, trying to finish that damn house. The place didn't look so big until they were close to it.). Inu-yasha got a brilliant idea just to make fun of Miroku. They were doing a problem out of the textbook so Inu-yasha wasn't scowled at when he stood and went to Jizani-sensei. He whispered something into her ear and she glanced in Miroku's direction. Inu-yasha knew she'd want to do it because it was funny and it would also teach him not to sleep in class again.

Softly, after Inu-yasha sat down, she told to class to quietly stand up. The confused class hesitated but then obeyed. She walked to the door and walked out, motioning for the class to follow her but holding her hand to her lips to tell them to be quiet. They followed, catching on when they saw Miroku sleeping. Once everyone was outside, Jizani closed the door a hard as she could.

Miroku's head shot up. He looked utterly confused at first. Then he got panicky and started to shove his things in his backpack, thinking he missed the bell. But then he noticed that everyone's stuff was still there.

Meanwhile everyone outside was laughing softly, trying to hold it in so he wouldn't hear it. Then Inu-yasha opened the door and everyone laughed at Miroku, who was still looking around for any form of life. Miroku immediately caught on to what had happened (Inu-yasha had done this to him before) and, being the good sport he is, joined them in their laughing.

Other than that, Science class was pretty easy-going. Inu-yasha had tried his best to keep clear of Kagome who was obviously at least happy about that.

When the bell rang, Inu-yasha waited for Miroku this time. They walked to gym together. George (he refused to be called George-sensei) told the class they were having another free day since more than half the class didn't bring gym clothes. Inu-yasha joined a game of basketball like the day before and this time Miroku joined instead of chasing after blondes. Inu-yasha tried to pay attention to the game but his eyes kept wondering back to Kagome's form. She was writing or drawing in a notebook the whole time. She didn't talk to Sesshomaru so Inu-yasha was better than the day before. Still, he had a hard time concentrating whenever he saw Kagome's scowling face. He wildly began to think her face would stay that way for the rest of the year.

The bell finally rang and Inu-yasha took his time leaving. Tired, he and Miroku said 'bye' and promised to call that night to plan their next prank instead of discussing it over an afternoon snack like they usually did.

As Inu-yasha drove, he thought about Kagome. _What could've made her so mad, _he asked himself. _I just can't get it out of my mind. I feel like it's my duty to fix her mood… What the fuck! Why is this happening to me? Why did she—_

Just then he saw a familiar large black hoddy, raven hair, and baggy jeans. He slowed down as he got closer.

"Hey, I didn't know you walked home," Inu-yasha said.

Kagome's head snapped up but once she saw who it was her usual scowl was in place. "That's very observant of you." She didn't even bother to stop walking.

Inu-yasha narrowed his eyes but then tried to be nice again. "Do you want a ride?"

"No," she said flatly.

"Why not?"

"My house is only a few blocks away."

"A few too many. Just let me give you a ride. It might cheer you up."

"I'd be cheered up if you went away," Kagome snapped.

"Please?" Inu-yasha smiled and puppy dog pouted.

Kagome thought the puppy dog look suited him but she definitely wasn't going to tell him that. "No," was all she said.

"Fine," Inu-yasha growled and sped ahead and around the corner. Kagome smiled triumphantly. Her smile evaporated a minute later when she saw Inu-yasha jogging around the corner. He grinned smugly at her surprised face. "You didn't think you won did you?" Inu-yasha asked smugly. Kagome pouted. They kept walking in the way Kagome was going.

"Why do you insist on bugging me? I don't want to even be _around_ you."

"Why not? Did I do something to you that makes you hate me so much?"

Kagome sideways glared. "No."

"Then why do you hate me so much?"

"Right now I hate you because you won't leave me alone."

"But you didn't like me before either."

"No, I didn't." Inu-yasha was getting frustrated with her short, non-helpful answers but he was happy that she was answering him. Probably only because she had no way out of it but he didn't care.

"Soo… is there a reason for that?"

Kagome was quiet for a while. Just as Inu-yasha was going to ask her again she said, "My last relationship didn't go so well…" She wasn't scowling at him anymore. In fact, Inu-yasha could plainly see pain, hurt, and fright in her eyes.

"So, is it because you're still healing?" Inu-yasha asked softly. Inu-yasha could relate to that, with Kaori and all.

Kagome was quiet for a moment. She looked into the sky and Inu-yasha took at her raven hair softly blowing in the breeze, chocolate brown eyes still full of painful memories, and her cream-colored skin. The wind seemed to caress her face that held such a sad frown. She looked back at him and said, "Yes, you could say that."

The two were quiet for a moment. Kagome looked thoughtful and hurt. Inu-yasha felt guilty about bringing back such bad memories. He didn't mean to. She didn't have to tell him anything but she did. He was happy that she sorta maybe kinda trusting him now.

_She isn't telling me the whole truth, _Inu-yasha thought. _She really has no reason to tell me anything. She hates me because of her past, because of her last boyfriend… Why? Is her past (or ex- boyfriend) really that bad?_

Inu-yasha started to get bored with the scenery (that seemed oddly familiar) and decided the silence _had_ to end. "So, were you mad all day because of me?" he asked.

Kagome sighed. "Do you really want to know that badly?"

"It's been driving me crazy all day," he answered.

"Why?"

"Because I care," he said calmly. Kagome turned to look at him. She was slightly surprised. It was like that was the answer she wanted to hear but she didn't think that Inu-yasha would actually say it.

She smiled the first kind smile Inu-yasha had seen her direct at himself. "If you really want to know then I'll tell you."

Inu-yasha smiled widely.

"In fact, I'll show it to you." They just rounded the corner. She stopped, pointed, and said, "That's my house."

Inu-yasha's jaw dropped. No wonder this place seemed so familiar! The word 'karma' escaped his lips after he fully took in the sight.

There in front of him was a house alright but it was virtually completely covered in toilet paper. Toothpaste went up and down the long case of stairs that lead to the house. All the trees looked more like preserved mummies. The small shrine house off to the side had its door and windows lined in tooth paste and streamers made of toilet paper all over it. The large tree next to that had a smiley face on it made of toothpaste. The grass was a blanket of tiny quilts. The empty rolls of the toilet paper were stuck onto various branches of various trees around the house.

Inu-yasha couldn't believe it. _This _was the house he and Miroku had tepee-d the night before!

**And there's Chapter Four for you. I hope you like it. Alright, so as I said, this story takes place in America. However, if you've noticed, I add -sensei to the end of the teacher's names. Sorry! I was just so used to it. And at the time, I didn't really know where the setting was going to be. **

**Also, Iactually don't really like to go too much into detail. First off, I'm not really good at it. And I'd much rather read the action and not details. I know not all people are like that. But sometimes it gets me frustrated when I have to read, like, two whole paragraphs describing one thing. Then I forget where the action was. I usually skip stuff like that. Sometimes I don't because it is nice to know the setting and all but I'm just too impatient. And, if you haven't noticed, my chapters are already long enough (I think this chapter is even longer than the others! Sorry!) so adding more detail would only make it longer than it has to be. So, I'm sorry if I'm not adding enough detail. **

**Anyway, thank you so much for reading my story. It's nice to get support, especially since this is my first online fanfiction. So thank you to those who review! Also, please be brutally honest with me. I want to know what I can do to make it better. Thanks! Bye!**

**Hiko**


	5. Chapter 5: Clean Up Fun

**I had a goal today and it was to finish this damn chapter. Well, I reached it and I'm glad I did!Anyway, I'll let you get on with the story. Enjoy!**

**Previously on "The Project":**

_There in front of him was a house alright but it was virtually completely covered in toilet paper. Toothpaste went up and down the long case of stairs that lead to the house. All the trees looked more like preserved mummies. The small shrine house off to the side had its door and windows lined in tooth paste and streamers made of toilet paper all over it. The large tree next to that had a smiley face on it made of toothpaste. The grass was a blanket of tiny quilts. The empty rolls of the toilet paper were stuck onto various branches of various trees around the house._

_Inu-yasha couldn't believe it. This was the house he and Miroku had tepee-d the night before!_

**Chapter Five**

**Clean Up Fun**

Inu-yasha's jaw had dropped when he first saw it. But it was anchored to the floor when the realization hit him: This was _her_ house and _he _destroyed it! What the hell was he supposed to say! This had never happened to him. He knew the house belonged to the

Higurashi family, but he didn't know that that was Kagome's last name. He always made it a point to know who he was pranking so that he could watch out for them, even if they didn't know he'd done it. Now, he cursed himself for not knowing it was Kagome's house.

Either way, Kagome couldn't know he'd done it. She'd kill him, and then revive him just to kill him again. Maybe if/when they got married he'd tell her, that way she'd love him too much to throw him out in the cold with nothing but the clothes on his back. Inu-yasha desperately thought of what to say.

"Um…" he stuttered. "Wow. That doesn't happen often," he laughed nervously.

"Nope," Kagome growled, "it doesn't. But I must have to worst luck ever."

Inu-yasha thought, _I know for a fact that you're wrong. _Out loud, he said, "Let me help you clean up." (**Sorry to make it so predictable, but what the hell is he supposed to do?)**

"No, you don't have to."

_You have no idea, _he thought. "I want to help. Besides, it wouldn't hurt to have an extra pair of hands around," he tempted.

Kagome hesitated but then sighed. "Yeah, you're right. Alright, come on." She started up the stairs, careful to avoid all the toothpaste. Inu-yasha remembered that the toothpaste on the stairs was his idea but Miroku had done it. They picked their way up the stairs and gradually made it to the front door. The welcome mat was covered in toothpaste (and had footprints in it (Inu-yasha had to refrain from laughing)). (That was his idea and he'd done it last minute.)

Careful to avoid the paste-covered mat, Kagome unlocked the door and stepped in, motioning for Inu-yasha to follow. Inu-yasha was just thrilled that he got to get into her house when they weren't even going out… yet.

"Souta!" she yelled as she put her keys on a small hook by the door and put her hoody in the closet. She had on a loose plain navy blue shirt. Inu-yasha hung his jacket up too but kept his keys in his pocket. They were in a large hard-wood foyer. It went all the way to the back of the house where the back door was. On the left was an open brightly lit area Inu-yasha guessed was the kitchen. A room further off suggested a living room from the tip of a couch Inu-yasha could see. On the right was a hallway that had several doors along it. He guessed that was where the bedrooms where since he couldn't see any stairs.

She kicked off her shoes and told him to do so too. Inu-yasha was wondering who Souta was when a little boy about eight years old came into the room. He had tousled hair that was the same color as Kagome's and pale skin.

"What?" he whined. Then he saw Inu-yasha. He got a very smug look on his face. "Who's this, your _boyfriend_?" he asked with a mocking tone.

"Watch it twerp," Kagome warned and she started toward the kitchen. Souta ran into the next room before she could consider his comment worthy of a pounding. Inu-yasha just grinned knowingly and followed her. "Do you want something to eat?" Inu-yasha saw her glance over her shoulder at him.

"No thanks," Inu-yasha said, although he did feel a small tug at his stomach at the mention of food.

Kagome shrugged and kept walking. She reached a large kitchen where she went to a cupboard and pulled out two packs of ramen noodles. Inu-yasha stared at it hungrily… It was his favorite food in the world. It figures he declined before he saw what she had. There his bad luck goes again.

Inu-yasha noticed that Kagome got a third pack with a soft smile on her face. Inu-yasha blushed a little. He must've been drooling. He mumbled a 'thanks.'

The kitchen was much like a bar. The counter top extended further into the living room. Fluffy red stools were placed under it.

"Feel free to roam a little," she said. Inu-yasha smiled and took her up on the offer. He wondered into the living room. Her house was smaller than his but it was pretty big. And decorative. There were all manner of colors in the living room. It had comfortable white leather furniture and a big screen t.v. in it. A large rug with exotic colors on it was in the middle of the room. The carpet was a light red, matching the stools. The lights were dimmed because the large window which overlooked the front yard let in plenty of light.

Inu-yasha wondered into the next room which looked like a study. A desk with a computer on it sat in one corner and a large bookshelf took up most of the opposite wall. Two comfortable-looking black leather chairs were up against another wall.

Walking back to the living room, he sat down on the couch for a moment or two to test how comfortable it was. The cold leather warmed up after only a few moments. Inu-yasha started to doze off, not intentionally, but was aroused by the delightful aroma of ramen. He went back into the kitchen where Kagome was stirring the ramen.

"Almost done," she said cheerfully. Inu-yasha sat at an end stool and watched her finish stirring, probably drooling the whole time. She poured the noodles into three bowls and handed one to Inu-yasha, giving him his flavor packet too.

"Souta!"

A muffled 'what?' was heard.

"Come eat!" Inu-yasha didn't know that she could yell that loud. She was always so quiet at school. She grabbed her own bowl and sat down a stool away from Inu-yasha. "Afternoon snack," she explained even though he hadn't asked. He nodded anyway. Souta soon came and got his food. Inu-yasha guessed he came from the doors he hadn't had a chance to check. Souta looked at Inu-yasha curiously. (Inu-yasha, having the worst luck, had a long noodle hanging off his face when Souta stared.)

"Who are you?" he finally asked.

Before Inu-yasha could finish the bite he had to answer, Kagome said, "He's going to help me clean up the house."

"A friend from school?" he asked innocently.

Kagome hesitated, not really wanting to call Inu-yasha a friend. "You could say that," she said uncertainly.

Inu-yasha looked disappointed but only for a second. Souta still looked wary but sat down in the stool Kagome had skipped.

To fill the silence, Inu-yasha asked, "Who else lives here?"

Souta answered. "Us, Grandpa, and Mom." Inu-yasha wondered what happened to their dad. "Grandpa owns the shrine," Souta continued. "We do most of the cleaning in the shrine though because he's getting to old to do it himself." Inu-yasha nodded, genuinely interested. He wanted to memorize every detail about Kagome's life. Souta looked at Inu-yasha again, still a little unsure. "So, what's your name?"

"Inu-yasha," he said, feeling that the little boy had the right to know who was in his house. "Don't worry," he said, "I'm only here to help." He didn't want to get on the bad side of her brother too.

Souta smiled at him. "I'm not worried."

"So," Inu-yasha started, "when do your mom and grandpa get home?"

Kagome was about to answer when Souta jumped in and said, "Neither of them will be home until late tonight." He saw the questioning look in Kagome's eyes. "They left a note. I forgot to leave it for you to see." His comment was directed at Kagome. Then he pulled a twenty dollar bill out of his pocket and said, "She said to order pizza."

Kagome took the bill and said "What's keeping them this time?" as she tucked the twenty in her back pocket.

"They're checking out another shrine that's about an hour and a half away. I think Mom's thinking of buying it…" Inu-yasha felt his heart plummet. No more Kagome?

"She's always thinking of buying," Kagome said. "She never does though. Grandpa likes this shrine too much." Inu-yasha's hopes soared again.

Inu-yasha stood up. He'd finished his ramen and went around to the kitchen. He gave Kagome an uncertain look and she said, "Just put it in the sink," referring to the bowl. After doing so, Inu-yasha stood at the entrance of the kitchen, looking out into the living room. It really was a cozy room. He wondered if he and Kagome would ever be together in that room cuddling on the warm leather…

Kagome got up then and brushed past Inu-yasha to put her bowl in the sink. She took a deep breathe and then said, "So, are you ready?"

Inu-yasha snapped out of his daydream and answered, "Hai." The two went outside with rags and water (for the toothpaste) and the clean up began.

It was pretty boring at first. They scooped the toothpaste off of the welcome mat first and then started on the stairs. But Inu-yasha (they were about one-fourths of the way down the stairs) started a toothpaste fight. Inu-yasha had a paste-covered rag and casually went to Kagome. The water bucket was next to her so nothing was out of the ordinary.

But when he reached her, he "accidentally" dropped the rag onto her vulnerable back. She screamed while Inu-yasha laughed. He stopped instantly when a rag came in contact with his face though. The rag slide slowly off his face and revealed a narrowed eyed face with white toothpaste streaked across it. She laughed and pointed. He picked up the dirty water bucket. She shut up and said, "Don't you dare!"

Inu-yasha got a villainous look. He tossed the water at her and she screamed as it hit. It only splashed the top half of her body since Inu-yasha was trying to avoid loosing his grip on the bucket and throwing all the water on her. Inu-yasha burst into laughter anyway.

Kagome clenched her fists, picked up both rags, and charged at him. He dropped the bucket and tried to twirl out of the way but she was too quick. She slapped him with both rags numerously as he tried to escape into the grass (well, toilet paper) beside the stairs. Noticing that he was getting no where, Inu-yasha surprised her and stopped dead in his tracks and faced her. She slammed right into him and they fell onto the toilet paper-covered grass, rolling a few times, getting the toilet paper wrapped around the both of them. They were laughing the whole time. When they stopped rolling they were in an embarrassing yet familiar position. They'd been in that same predicament before, when they first came face to face…

But neither of them noticed. They were too busy laughing. Inu-yasha broke them free of the toilet paper, grabbed a rag from Kagome, and rolled away to get some distance. They both threw their rags at the same time and they each hit each other square in each other's faces. This caused a whole new series of laughter. They sat there, covered in toilet paper, toothpaste, dirty water, and grass, holding their stomachs from the ache laughter caused and looking absolutely ridiculous.

Just then, Souta burst out of the house and yelled for his sister. "Kagome, are you okay? I heard a lot of…" He saw them there. He just stared. They were rolling with laughter. He sighed and shook his head. _And I thought I was immature, _he thought sarcastically as he went back into the house.

Neither Kagome nor Inu-yasha heard or saw Souta.

After their little war, Kagome and Inu-yasha were both embarrassed at their lack of maturity. Inu-yasha didn't know it would go that far. He just wanted something to liven the mood, especially since Kagome hadn't said a word to him. They decided not to clean up themselves up since they'd just get dirtied up again, but Inu-yasha did offer her his jacket to keep her warm. (She was freezing from the water, even though it was warm.) It was a kind gesture, but Kagome said she'd use her hoody since it was just as big as Inu-yasha's jacket. Inu-yasha went into the house and, being his usual stubborn self, got his jacket instead of hers. If it was for her, he didn't care if it got dirty.

"Just use it," he said with frustration when she looked at it funny. He shoved the jacket at her. She reluctantly took it. Inu-yasha wasn't the only stubborn one.

They continued to clean without further major incidents although they did playfully flick toothpaste at each other's faces when the other wasn't paying attention. (Inu-yasha made sure he didn't go too far this time though since his jacket was at her mercy.) Inu-yasha worked on the tall pine trees while Kagome picked up the ground. (She had to refill the bucket since half of it was on her.) The whole clean up took a little less than four hours and by then, the sun had already set and it was getting dark. Inu-yasha tiredly sat on the porch and Kagome plopped right next to him. They heaved a sigh at the same time.

"Finally," Inu-yasha said as he observed their work. It was more or less clean. Some of the toothpaste they left for the rain to wash away, but other than that, it looked as if it had never been tepeed.

Kagome looked gratefully at him. "Thank you, I mean for helping. I know Souta wouldn't have been much help. He'd have been complaining more than cleaning."

Inu-yasha grinned. "No problem." Their eyes locked for a second. Inu-yasha made a decision as he lost himself in her perfect brown orbs. He smiled wider and then said, "Let me take you to dinner."

She smiled and it looked like she was going to say yes when she seemed to snap out of some sort of trance. "No," she said quickly. "I'm sorry, I can't." She stood up abruptly. Inu-yasha instinctively stood too.

Inu-yasha's jaw dropped but he tried to compromise. "Please? Souta will come too so it wouldn't even be considered a date." Kagome hesitated but didn't seem convinced. "It won't mean anything. You can go back to ignoring me at school if you want." He seemed to be winning her over. "It's just late and I feel like I'd be rude if I didn't ask, especially since I got you all dirty."

She was still wearing his jacket. Inu-yasha thought she looked amazing in it. It went past her knees and the sleeves hung past her hands. (She had had to roll the sleeves up more than a few times so it wouldn't get messed up and it made her frustrated. Inu-yasha couldn't help but think she was even more gorgeous when she was mad.) It was red and white and zipped up with two large pockets on either side of the zipper. He hadn't really had the chance to view her since they were working. But now, in the dim light of the porch light, she looked so angelic…

"Please?" Inu-yasha pleaded.

Kagome was quiet but then sighed. "Alright, you win," she said. Inu-yasha grinned widely. "But like you said, it doesn't mean anything," she warned. Inu-yasha was happy she'd finally given in but it had taken more pleading than he thought he'd have to use. He thought they'd had some real fun today, even if it was juvenile,. He'd thought that maybe he'd finally gotten somewhere with her… and he did. Her smiles and laughter were genuine, he could tell. But her previous relationship was obviously much worse than he'd thought for her to reject him like that… again.

"Alright," he said, trying to keep the excitement and triumph out of his voice. "I'm going to get my car and clean up. I'll be back in about an hour. Is that okay?" He felt the need to run things by her first.

"That's fine," she said. _Why does he always seem to win, _she asked herself. _I let myself lose but I hate it. Why? Why would I let myself lose to_ _him when I don't even like him...? Or rather… don't _want _to like him._

Inu-yasha watched her go into the house. She said, "See you in an hour." Was that a smile he saw before she disappeared into the house or were his eyes failing him?

Inu-yasha walked down the stairs and started in the direction of his car but as soon as he rounded the corner, he broke out into a run.

After Inu-yasha'd run all the way to his car, he'd practically sped all the way to his house. As he drove, he remembered something. He was grounded! How the hell was he supposed to get past his father… and Sesshomaru! His father would probably get home soon after him, if he was lucky. On a busy day, Inutaisho got home around 8:00 and that was about thirty minutes away. But he usually got home around six. Inu-yasha prayed to God that it was a busy day. He could deal with Sesshomaru and his mom but not his dad. No, his dad would have his door bolted and his window boarded before he could even explain himself.

Inu-yasha made it home in record time but his heart sank when he saw that his car was the only one missing from the garage. Inu-yasha quickly closed the garage again once he saw this to try and reduce the sound.

He couldn't go into that house. He'd be caught for sure.

_Miroku,_ he thought suddenly. _Yes, he's my only way out._ Inu-yasha drove to the next neighborhood over and parked in front of Miroku's house. Miroku's parents weren't home, as usual, so he just walked in.

"Miroku!" he called. No answer. _Must be sleeping, _he thought. Inu-yasha checked his room and saw that he was right. He must've still been really tired from the night before. Inu-yasha shrugged and let his friend sleep. He'd just leave a note.

After thirty minutes, Inu-yasha had taken a shower and put some of Miroku's casual clothes on, a black button up shirt with a wife beater underneath and blue jeans. He had to borrow some of his New Bound shoes since Inu-yasha's were crusty from dried up toothpaste. His shower had taken longer than he thought but then he hadn't known the toothpaste had burrowed that deeply. Inu-yasha wrote a quick note explaining his situation to Miroku and left it on his desk. He was just about to leave when he heard the phone ring. It wasn't his place to answer it, especially since he shouldn't be there so he let it go to voicemail.

"Hello, this is Inutaisho, Inu-yasha's father." Inu-yasha froze at the first word. "I'm looking for my son so if you know where he might be then please call me back. My cell is 555-1918. Thank you, I'll talk to you later." It was all in his business voice but Inu-yasha could practically see the anger. Yeah, he was in for a shit-load when he got home. He'd be lucky if he could keep his bed after his dad was done with him. But he couldn't miss his "date" with Kagome and her brother. He couldn't ask her and then be the one who couldn't make it. _I suppose I'll risk it… for her, _he thought as he went out the door.

Kagome closed the door and watched the boy walk down the steps. When he was gone she sighed contently. Dazed, she walked down the hallway to the second to last door and opened it. Souta was jumping around with a controller in his hands, arguing with the referee in his football video game.

"Souta, Inu-yasha's going to take us to dinner."

Souta forgot about his game momentarily. "Really?" he asked excitedly. "You know, it's too bad he isn't your boyfriend, he seems really nice."

Kagome looked scared, sad, happy, and guilty all at the same time. If Inu-yasha had seen that he'd have said that only she could pull something like that off.

"What's wrong?" Souta asked worriedly. Had he said something wrong?

Kagome sighed shakily. "It isn't going to happen, no matter how nice he is."

Souta stared at her. "What's wrong with him?"

Kagome sighed again. "That boy. He said his name was Inu-yasha remember?" Souta nodded. "His last name is Taisho, as in Taisho Cybernetics. He's the son of the owner/founder… and one of the most popular kids at school."

Souta widened his eyes in disbelief. "What?" He blinked as Kagome nodded. He took on a sad face. "Why did he have to be so nice?" he pouted. Kagome nodded in agreement.

They both knew now that Inu-yasha was off-limits. Kagome's past wouldn't allow her to get too close to him. She was already too close to him as it was. She'd had a lot of fun today. If only… She trailed off, not wanting to finish her thought.

"Alright, get ready, he'll be here in an hour," Kagome said driving the agonizing memories and foul atmosphere away with a shake of her head. Souta nodded. "Oh, and Souta…" Souta looked up at her. "Don't try to drive him off tonight..." When someone like Inu-yasha got too close to his sister, Souta usually helped her get rid of him. "He seemed really happy when I told him yes so… I don't want to ruin this day for him," she said softly. _She's still nice, even after what happened_, Souta thought. _She probably already likes him. If it wasn't for _him…

Souta nodded with a smile. Kagome closed the door softly behind her. She sighed before she went to her room, the door right next to his. She grabbed her bathrobe from her closet and a towel from the closet and went to take a shower.

She had a lot on her mind as she let the warm water glide gently down her body. The steam rose up and around her, the cloud caressing her body like the water did. As she shampooed her hair she thought about only Inu-yasha.

_I've only known him for two days but I already like him. His aura… it's like he's just waiting to find something to get him into trouble. Why do I like that? Isn't that what ruined my life before? _Her last thought was full of bitterness and her dreadful memories swallowed her up again. Her salty tears were disguised by the water sprouting from the shower head. She tried to shake her head and rid herself of them as she had done before, but her thoughts always returned to Inu-yasha which made her think of them again

Finally, she decided that getting ready might take her mind off things. She hurriedly finished washing but made sure she was clean. She put her bathrobe on and walked down the hall to her room.

Inu-yasha's jacket was lain out on her bed. She walked over to it and held it close to her face. His scent… it smelled so nice. She loved it. She held his jacket closer, wanting to soak in his smell.

Then she remembered he was off-limits. She hated this feeling she got whenever she thought of him. He was so wonderful but he brought back too many memories… too many tormenting memories. She hated that she still thought of them, even after that long time. _It's all _his_ fault_, she thought, referring to her ex-boyfriend. _If it weren't for _him_… I could be with Inu-yasha and not feel the sorrow I feel now._

She tossed his jacket back onto the bed, trying to make it seem like she didn't care about it or the owner. She was trying to lie to herself, tell herself that she didn't like him _that _much and could easily get over him.

After she'd gotten dressed, she slipped Inu-yasha's jacket on.

True to his word, Inu-yasha showed up exactly one hour after he'd left. He rang the doorbell, his father's voice still ringing through his head. Souta answered the door and smiled kindly. "We're almost ready. Come on in." Souta back away to let Inu-yasha in and went down the right hall toward the bedrooms. Inu-yasha stood on the foyer and got a better look of the area. It was brightly lit now that the sun was down. Colorful paintings hung on the walls, some close to the ceiling, which was well over fifteen feet high, and some close enough to the floor to touch. They were mostly of flowers and angels. The angel pictures were closer to the ceiling.

Just then, Souta and Kagome came out of the hallway. Kagome looked much better without toothpaste in her hair, Inu-yasha noted. She had her ebony hair up in half a ponytail, held by a pink bow, and the rest cascading down her back and shoulders. She had on his jacket (this earned a smug smile) and black jeans. Her jeans were mostly enshrouded by his long jacket but they didn't seem to be like the baggy jeans she usually wore. She was twirling the hood string of the red and white jacket with her finger, as if it had become a nervous habit. The sleeves seemed to hang to her knees.

She was absolutely stunning in every way.

Souta, having no reason to change, was dressed in the sweater and jeans he had on before.

"Are you two ready?" Inu-yasha said trying in vain to hide his astonishment.

"Yeah," Souta spoke for them. They piled into Inu-yasha's car and he drove to a place unknown to Kagome and Souta.

"You'll love where we're going," Inu-yasha declared.

"Where?" Souta and Kagome said in unison.

"You'll see," Inu-yasha replied with a mysterious grin.

**Yeah, I know, crappy ending. And not much suspense either. I onlyended it herebecause I didn't want to make this chapter longer than the last one. I was going to include their "date" in this one but I changed my mind. **

**Anyway, I just thought that I should tell you that I know that the relationships between the different characters in my storyis different from the actual show. I did it on purpose. For example, Kagome's and Souta's relationship. She's really nice to him in the real thing but that's only because she's gone most of the time, in the other era. In my story, that doesn't really apply. Anyone with siblings knows that they start to get on you're nerves after a while. And Inu-yasha's and Miroku's relationship. They laugh and joke together in my story but we all know that Inu-yasha would never do that with Miroku in the show. But in my story, they've been friends since elementary school so it's different. Yeah, I know it doesn't make sense but... Nevermind. I'm confusing myself (it happens often).**

**Anyway, how did you like this chapter? There's a lot I didn't tell about Kagome, I know. But you find out when Inu-yasha does. Muwhahahaha! Ahem... Anyway, I added a little bit in Kagome's POV. I hope that isn't too confusing. I also tried to add better vocabulary. (I'm horrible atvocab so sorry if my words are too basic.) Anyway, I hope you liked it!**

**Hiko**


	6. Chapter 6: Get To Know You

**Hello my fellow fans! I'm SO sorry this took so long to do. It really isn't a long chapter (sorry!) but I was so busy the past week. I had Science Fair Project to do. I hadn't even started on it and it was due, like, the next day. (Yes, I know that's bad but hey, I got it done, didn't I?) Anyway, here's chapter six! Enjoy!**

**Previously on "The Project":**

"_Are you two ready?" Inu-yasha said trying in vain to hide his astonishment._

"_Yeah," Souta spoke for them. They piled into Inu-yasha's car and he drove to a place unknown to Kagome and Souta. _

"_You'll love where we're going," Inu-yasha declared._

"_Where?" Souta and Kagome said in unison._

"_You'll see," Inu-yasha replied with a mysterious grin._

**Chapter Six**

Inu-yasha wanted a place that wasn't romantic since Souta was with them and this wasn't supposed to be a date. But he didn't want a fast food restaurant since that seemed too cheap.

_Sakura _was just the place. The Japanese steak, seafood, and sushi house was a small restaurant off the side of the highway. The chefs cooked in front of you and put on a little show to impress the customers. Inu-yasha figured that would be fun for Souta. The food was expensive but for a good reason; it was always absolutely divine. It was Inu-yasha's favorite restaurant.

When Kagome saw the bright red sign that said _'Sakura' _she asked, "Is this the place?"

"Hai."

Souta looked at the place with wide eyes. "Wow, it looks good already." Inu-yasha smiled.

Ten minutes later, they were being led by a kind waitress to a table. Since the place was small and tucked behind a few trees, not many people even knew it was there so it was easy to get a table. When they reached the seats, Kagome slide Inu-yasha's jacket off. It was hot in the quaint place since the kitchen was apart of the dining area. Inu-yasha put it on her chair.

Inu-yasha caught a glimpse of Kagome before she sat down in her chair (which Inu-yasha pulled out for her). She was _magnificent. _No, she was _beyond _that. She wore slim black jeans, a huge improvement from the baggy ones she usually wore, and a v-shaped pink shirt. It was striped and flared a little on the sleeves and hem. Her attire was basic but it fit her _perfectly. _It curved in all the right places. Inu-yasha couldn't understand it. Why would she hide such a seductive body? _She could have any guy in the whole school with a body like that_, Inu-yasha thought. _Why doesn't she use that to her advantage? Any other girl at our school would… _Then he remembered that he himself might be one of the guys she'd want and therefore use such an enticing body on… but she still rejected him. She just got more and more confusing… but Inu-yasha loved it. It only made him want her more.

They ordered some drinks and Inu-yasha decided to start a conversation. "So, how is it? Do you like it so far?"

Kagome looked around the radiant restaurant. Small groups of people watched the talented chef in front of them flip large pieces of chicken in the air. There were Japanese themed colors and patterns on the walls. The waitresses wore dazzling kimonos with all sorts of flowers on them, but the most common, of course, was a sakura blossom. Round Japanese lights hung from the ceiling, casting a golden hue on the customers' faces. A chef a few tables away made a sudden fire on the stove. It was so big that Kagome could feel the heat from where she sat.

"I love it," Kagome finally answered, still taking in the site.

Inu-yasha grinned smugly. "I knew you would."

Souta was still bug-eyed from when they first pulled up. "This place is _so_ cool!" he exclaimed when he saw the chef make the large fire again.

Kagome and Souta looked at their menus and Inu-yasha watched in amusement as both of them stared at it with open jaws.

"T-The food looks s-so good," Kagome exclaimed.

"It is," Inu-yasha replied shortly with a grin.

"Is the 'steak and shrimp' any good?" Souta asked.

"The best. It comes with fried rice. All the entrées do."

"Hmm…" Kagome said thoughtfully. "What about the chicken?"

"It's good too. I stole some off of Sesshomaru's plate once," Inu-yasha recalled.

"Who's that?" Souta asked.

"His brother," Kagome answered for him distractedly. The two kept asking how every thing tasted until Kagome decided on steak and chicken with a side of sushi and Souta decided on shrimp and chicken. Inu-yasha always got lobster tail, and shrimp with a side of lo mien (it was the closest to ramen noodles the place could offer).

A few minutes later, a waitress came to them with their drinks and took their orders. "The usual sir?" she asked Inu-yasha. He answered with a nod. After she shuffled away, Kagome asked, "How often do you come here?"

"No too often since the food is kind of expensive and my dad would kill me if I came here that much. I'd say I come here about… four to five times a month."

"That's still kind of too often, isn't it?" Kagome asked uneasily. "I mean, just one meal here costs enough to feed my whole family."

"That's exaggerating too much," Inu-yasha insisted, although it was probably true. "But my family can afford it anyway." At this, Kagome seemed to get very quiet. Souta even stopped looking around… only for a second though. Inu-yasha shifted uneasily in his seat.

Just then, a friendly looking man appeared from the inner kitchen pulling a cart full of ingredients. He had on a white apron and a chef's hat.

"Welcome to _Sakura_," he said with his Japanese accent. He smiled and said, "You can call me Lee." The threesome smiled at him politely. "Let's see… who had the sushi?"

Kagome raised her hand halfway and said, "I did." Lee grabbed a small plate with sushi on it and placed it in front of her. Lee proceed to clean the stove top. It was awfully close and Kagome hoped he didn't do the large flame like the other chef did; she wanted to keep her eyebrows.

But it wasn't meant to be. The chef poured some sort of oil all over the stove top, the water-like substance sizzling once it hit. Then Lee took out a long lighter, lit it, and set it next to the oil. The whole stove lit on fire and Kagome backed up in her seat instinctively. She soon found out that was a bad idea. Her surprise made her jump back too fast and the chair toppled over with her still in it, screaming the whole way down.

Inu-yasha gasped involuntarily, instantly asked if she was alright, and helped her up (although he had a hard time keeping his own laughter in).

Souta, completely oblivious, had his mouth wide open and yelled, "That was SO cool!"

Kagome looked at her brother in disbelief. She scoffed and said, "Yeah, I'm perfectly fine, no need to worry about me, really!"

"Huh?" Souta finally looked over at his sister and saw her standing with Inu-yasha holding her up by her arm. "Were you being sarcastic or serious? You look fine to me." Kagome glared.

Meanwhile, the other customers were laughing, having witnessed Kagome's fall. She sighed in a joking way. "Well, isn't this a great start?"

Lee stared horrified at her at first since he was the one who caused it to happen but when he saw that she was being a good-sport about it, he chuckled (mostly in relief).

As Kagome up righted her chair and sat back down, Lee said, "I'm so sorry! That's the first time anyone's done that."

Kagome sighed good-naturedly and said, "Yet another event to prove that I have no luck whatsoever." Everyone at the table chuckled and the nearby customers had gotten back to their own dinners.

"Alright," Lee said in his heavy Japanese accent, "are we ready to eat now?" The three nodded happily. Lee smiled as he used a fork and knife to put some cold white rice on the stove. He tossed the rice a couple of times before moving onto the eggs. Lee cracked an egg in each hand at the same time. The contents poured onto the stove and instantly started to sizzle. In a matter of seconds, the eggs were already cooked. He chopped the eggs into smaller bits and mixed it into the rapidly-cooking rice. After pushing the rice to one end of the stove, he grabbed an onion from the cart behind him, and then used a sharp knife and easily cut the onions into slices.

Souta watched mesmerized. Anyone could tell Lee had done this quite often; he was very fast. Kagome looked at Lee with same intensity as Souta. Inu-yasha was distracted by Kagome's face… It looked so soft…

Lee skillfully took the layers of onion apart and spread them across the stove top. Then he stacked them one on top of the other, the largest of them on the bottom and the smallest on the top. Souta furrowed his brow in confusion but he understood when Lee poured that watery liquid that he had used to make the fire into the cone-like structure. When he took out the lighter again, Kagome flinched involuntarily and Inu-yasha and Souta snickered. Lee held the flame inside the onion volcano and a flame shot up. It was tall and big but it definitely wasn't as bad as the first time.

Lee then got out a bottle with a brownish liquid (soy sauce) inside it and poured that into the volcano too. After a moment or two, the substance boiled out, creating "lava."

"Woah!" Kagome and Souta exclaimed in unison. Inu-yasha just smiled; he'd seen it before.

Both Souta and Kagome were saddened when Lee chopped the onion volcano to bits. But to make it up, Lee started to dish out the now finished fried rice. He gave some to Souta first. Kagome was logically supposed to be next since she was in the middle but Lee skipped her. Kagome waited patiently. After Lee gave Inu-yasha some, he went back for another spatula full. But instead of putting it on Kagome's plate, he gave more to Souta.

"Hey!" Kagome finally spoke up.

Lee smiled jokingly and said, "You don't want any, do you?"

Kagome played along and said, "No, of course not!"

Lee shrugged and said, "Okay," and gave more to Inu-yasha.

Kagome gasped and said, "I was just kidding!"

Lee laughed and then finally gave her some.

Kagome couldn't help but feel picked on. But when she took the first bite, she decided that it was worth the wait; it was the best she'd ever had!

They watched Lee cook the lobster tail, chicken, and steak. He did multiple tricks using his fork and knife, tossing everything in the air before he let it settle on the stove to cook. About half-way through, when Lee was cooking shrimp, Kagome noticed that he put a few off to the side. She thought that maybe she was the only one who noticed so she didn't say anything.

Some time later, everyone had delicious food in front of them. Lee was almost finished. He just had to do the final trick, but it was the customer's turn now.

"Who wants some shrimp?" he asked cheerfully.

Inu-yasha told Lee to do him first so Kagome and Souta would know what to do. They looked at both the chef and Inu-yasha in confusion.

Lee cut the shrimp into three smaller pieces and asked, "Are you ready?" Inu-yasha nodded. In one swift move, the shrimp went flying. Inu-yasha caught it in his mouth.

"Woah!" Souta exclaimed. "I wanna try!" Lee turned to the boy asked the same question he'd asked Inu-yasha. Souta nodded, maybe a little too energetically. Souta just barely caught the shrimp in his mouth.

Lee looked at Kagome.

"Oh no, I think I'll pass," Kagome insisted.

"Oh come on," Inu-yasha said. "We did it. It's your turn." Kagome sighed in defeat. Once again, Inu-yasha won. Lee smiled and tossed the shrimp.

Kagome shrieked and stood up. The shrimp had gone down her shirt and she was frantically trying to get it out.

By now other customers had noticed and were confused but laughed as well. Kagome turned around so they (and Inu-yasha) wouldn't see her stick her hand down her shirt. She turned around and triumphantly held the shrimp in her hand. "Why does this always happen to me?" she asked exasperated.

All three of them were pointing and laughing. She smiled and sat back down.

"Want to try again?" Lee asked between chuckles.

"Sure, why not?" Kagome said, the expression in her voice clearly saying 'what could happen this time?'

Lee tossed the shrimp into the air but Kagome missed. It landed on her face instead.

"Ow!" Kagome yelled. The shrimp was still scorching hot from the stove and it slightly burned her face. She quickly flicked the shrimp off and onto the ground. Kagome scowled but said, "One more try." Lee shrugged and obeyed. This time, she caught it. "Finally!" she cried triumphantly.

Inu-yasha grinned. Souta was still snickering from when the shrimp went down her shirt.

"Alright," Lee said. "I think I'm done here."

"Thank you," all three of them said at the same time. Lee bowed and wheeled his cart away back into the inner kitchen. The three ate their food, talking about Lee's tricks and which ones they liked the most.

They were just nearing the end when Inu-yasha asked, "So, how long have you guys lived here?"

"Since summer," Kagome answered after finishing a bit of chicken. "Before then we lived farther west."

"Where west?"

"Colorado." Kagome stole one of Souta's shrimp.

"Wow," Inu-yasha exclaimed. "That's half way across the country!" Kagome nodded. "So why did you come here to D.C.? Colorado is a lot safer than here." Washington D.C. was a high crime area, considering the fact that the president lived there.

"Just wanted a change," Kagome shrugged. Inu-yasha noticed that both she and Souta were picking at their food now. Inu-yasha narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

"So, do you like it here?" Inu-yasha blinked in an attempt to get rid of his untrusting eyes.

"Yeah," Kagome said, clearly glad that Inu-yasha didn't press her reasons further. "There's so much to see here. I still haven't seen all of the memorials."

"Yeah, there are a lot. I probably haven't seen them all and I've lived here my whole life." Inu-yasha hesitated before he added, "Maybe I can take you sight-seeing sometime."

Kagome turned fully to look into Inu-yasha's golden orbs. She smiled and said, "Maybe you can… sometime." Inu-yasha grinned widely at her.

Souta looked from one to the other. He rolled his eyes and said, "Are you two love birds ready to go yet?" Kagome snapped out of it first and glared at her brother.

Inu-yasha stood up and said, "Yeah, we should probably go now, it's almost ten o'clock."

"Really? It doesn't seem that late…" she said more to herself than to Inu-yasha.

They grabbed their stuff and Inu-yasha (wincing at the price) paid for the meal at the front counter and then followed Souta and Kagome back to the car.

Inu-yasha pulled up at their house fifteen minutes later. Now it was ten o'clock. Inu-yasha didn't mean to keep them for so long, especially since it was a school night but he didn't care; Kagome was worth it. They walked up the stairs slowly; they were all tired.

Kagome had Inu-yasha's jacket on. Inu-yasha still thought she looked amazing in it. The stair climb passed quickly as he memorized her body. She was twirling a hood string as she looked at her shoes, deep in thought, it appeared.

The silence was killing him. "So did you guys like it?" Inu-yasha asked.

"Yes!" Souta said from a few steps behind them.

"Yeah, it was the best food I've had in a while," Kagome said now looking up.

"Good. So does it make up for the toothpaste?" Inu-yasha asked with a grin.

Kagome laughed softly. "I suppose," she said.

They reached the door. Inu-yasha stood their awkwardly.

Kagome opened the door. "Get ready for bed," Kagome told Souta when he caught up to them. Souta nodded tiredly as he passed her and went in. Kagome watched him for a moment before turning to Inu-yasha. "Thank you, for dinner. You really didn't have to."

Inu-yasha grinned and said, "Yes I did. It would've been rude."

"Since when do you care if you're rude?" Kagome asked teasingly. "After all, you have been tormenting me the last two days."

"That's not being rude," Inu-yasha defended himself. He stuck his chin up defiantly and said, "It's curiosity."

"Oh!" Kagome said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Of course!" Inu-yasha smiled at her and she returned it.

_Kiss her,_ he told himself. _Do it now._ Inu-yasha's smiled disappeared as he leaned forward a little. He waited for her to say good night and slam the door in his face but it didn't happen. So he took it as a sign to keep going. He got closer and closer. She closed her eyes and leaned forward a little too.

At the last second, just before their lips were going to meet, she looked away and twirled around, leaving Inu-yasha with his eyes half-closed, ready for his first kiss from her. She stepped through the frame and she said, "Good night."

The door clicked shut.

_Oh my God! _Inu-yasha exploded in his mind. He was still staring at the door with his fists clenched. _I was so damn close! It was just about to happen! What the fuck was wrong! Did I have something on my face or something! _(He wiped his face, just to check.)

Instead of walking back to his car, he decided to let off some steam and walk. He was in no hurry to drive home and get his beating from his father. He was sure Inutaisho was still awake. He stomped his way around the corner of her house. His steps softened when he saw the garden. He had no idea there was one. It extended about ten feet from the side of the house and seemed to go around to the backyard. There was a short white gate encircling it. It almost looked deep green from all of the vines intertwined with it. A large white arch served as the entrance. There was a small pathway leading every which way. Along the sides were flowers of every sort but the most common one were lilacs. The scent was overpowering but still refreshing.

Inu-yasha walked into the arch and along the pathway. Tulips, daisies, and roses played tag around his feet. He found it hard to believe that they were so healthy. It was almost winter and these flowers were blooming as if it were late spring. Nevertheless, Inu-yasha enjoyed it. He let the calming feeling the garden held wash over him and his feet took him around to the backyard. He walked pass a lantern light. It seemed to mark the middle of the garden. Willow tree branches hung over this portion of the garden. The hid a small bench.

Suddenly, something vibrated on his leg. He jumped in surprise and clawed at his pocket to find out what it was. Cell phone. He suddenly felt really stupid.

"Miroku" it glowed. He answered. "Miroku? Is that you?"

"Yes, hi."

"What do you want?" Inu-yasha didn't want to seem rude but he was still hot from his almost-kiss.

"You know your dad is looking for you right?"

"Yeah." Inu-yasha guessed that Miroku had just woken up.

"Where are you?"

"In Kagome's backyard."

"Is she with you?" Miroku asked.

"No," he answered through gritting teeth.

"You sound mad."

Inu-yasha practically yelled, "Ya think!"

"Calm down," Miroku commanded. He waited a moment before continuing. "Now, start from the beginning."

Inu-yasha sighed and started. "Do you remember that house we tepeed last night?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Well," Inu-yasha said, straining to keep his voice quiet. "It just so happens that that house…. is Kagome's home."

"What!" Miroku exclaimed. Then he started to laugh. "How's that for karma?"

"Shut up," Inu-yasha growled. "It's not funny. You know why? Because _I_ had to help clean it up! When I was the one who did it!"

All Inu-yasha heard was laughter. "What the hell? Why did you help?"

"I saw it and couldn't just walk away and wish her luck. I walked with her to her house and she showed me. Remember when she was mad all day? That was why, because she woke up with toilet paper and toothpaste all over her god damn house!" Inu-yasha was speaking a little louder that he needed to be. He was, after all, still right outside Kagome's house. But he could care less right now. He'd been wanting to get this out of his system since he'd found out.

"So she still doesn't know it was you right?"

Inu-yasha was just about to answer when he heard a rustle come from behind him. He turned but saw nothing. It was pitch black. The only light was the glow coming from his phone and the lantern light which he was standing next to now. But the light wasn't powerful enough so it was basically useless.

"Inu-yasha? Are you still there?" Miroku asked uncertainly.

"Yeah," he said distractedly. "Sorry, what did you say?"

"I asked if she knew it was—"

Inu-yasha closed the phone shut, cutting Miroku off. The rustle he'd heard from before was louder now. He couldn't find out where it was coming from and what the source was if Miroku was blabbing in his ear. He narrowed his eyes in an attempt to see better.

Suddenly, a figure appeared. It was too dark to really see them so only a silhouette showed.

Inu-yasha's heart froze. Although he couldn't see who it was, he could make out long hair and thin legs….

**Muahahaha! Suspense, drama, cliffie! I love it! Sorry if I made this chapter too predictable. It's also kinda slow. But whatever. Anyway, just in case you were wondering, there really isa place called _Sakura_ where I live. I've been there a few times. I described it just the way that it really is, with the chefs and their tricks and everything. The only thing different is that there are about twelve to thirteen people at a table, not only three. Just about everything else is the same though. It really is the best resturant in the world... in my opinion anyway. I'm really trying to work on thedetail thing. I'm just not as good at making up those in-depth descriptions as other people are. I at least try to swith up the vocabulary though. Hmm... there was something else I wanted to add but I can't remember it now... Oh well. Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter. Thank you to all of the reviewers! Really, it helps A LOT! Bye!**

**Hiko**


	7. Chapter 7: I Hate You

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inu-yasha... but I have a plan... and it involves a tic tac, a tie, and a piece of toast. Lol! (Don't feel confused, it's an inside joke.)**

**Chapter Seven already! Yes, victory! Anyway, I just want to thank all of the peope reviewing. It's really helping me. Give me suggestions, please. Some of them are really good and I end up using them... or half of them. Sorry if this one isn't as good as the others or as long. This chapter is mostly just talking. I noticed earlier that all seven chapters have only occured over two days. That's it. I think I should probably speed things up soon... Anyway, enjoy!**

**Previously on "The Project":**

_Suddenly, a figure appeared. It was too dark to really see them so only a silhouette showed. _

_Inu-yasha's heart froze. Although he couldn't see who it was, he could make out long hair and thin legs…_

**Chapter Seven**

"**I Hate You"**

Inu-yasha was frozen in place. He was beyond dead. That's all there was to it. She knew now. How the hell was he supposed to win her heart now!

Inu-yasha took in a shaky breath. "Kagome?" he asked softly even though he was sure it was her. The silhouette didn't move an inch. For one hopeful second, he thought that maybe he was hallucinating. _Yes, that's it_, he told himself. Now that he thought about it, she did seem… different.

But all those thoughts were wiped away when the figure moved. It seemed to Inu-yasha that she meant to run away.

"Wait Kagome," Inu-yasha said. The figure obeyed. "H-How much of that conversation… did you hear?" he asked, afraid of the answer.

Then she did the most unbelievable thing, considering the situation. She _laughed._ Inu-yasha's jaw fell open. He scratched his head uneasily. "Um…"

She was laughing almost uncontrollably. Then Inu-yasha noticed something. Her voice was deeper. _Does she have a cold?_ he thought._ Is that why she's acting so weird?_ Her laugh didn't seem right…

"Kagome…?" Inu-yasha said, taking a small step closer. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she said still laughing. "You should've seen the look on your face though, it was _hilarious_!" Inu-yasha was certain she had a cold; her voice was way too deep. _Was that why she didn't kiss me? _he thought._ …Because she had a cold and didn't want to give it to me? But how did she get a cold so quick? She was fine earlier…_

"Kagome…" Inu-yasha said uncertainly again.

"Would you stop calling me that? I'd rather not be compared to my sister." Then the figure stepped forward, closer to the lantern light. There he was, Souta, eyes full of amusement. He had on Inu-yasha's jacket, the hood over his head. Inu-yasha now understood why he had mistaken him for his sister. The hood made it look like he had long hair. It was so dark now that Inu-yasha could barely see the white on his jacket. And now that he thought about it, both Souta and Kagome had thin legs.

Souta laughed again. "Surprised? You know, you looked like that a few seconds ago when you first saw me." Souta watched the display of multiple emotions cross Inu-yasha's face. It was an amalgam of relief, anger, and terror.

Inu-yasha kept opening and closing his mouth, not sure where to start._ Why is he here? Why did he act like he was Kagome? Why is he torturing me?... And why the hell is he wearing my jacket!_

"Well, spit it out!" Souta said impatiently.

Inu-yasha found his voice again. "Did you hear that whole conversation?"

"Sure did," Souta said, suddenly finding his nails very interesting.

"So then… you know… I did it?" Inu-yasha already knew the answer but he needed to hear it from his mouth.

"Yup." Souta stuck his hand out further to examine his nails from a distance. A smirk played on his lips.

Inu-yasha's eyes widened in fear. "Are you going to tell her?"

Souta shrugged uncaringly. "I might… or I might not."

"Please don't, _please_."

"Why not?" Souta asked stubbornly.

"Because then it means that my chances of getting her will go all the way to zero."

Souta scoffed. "And what are your chances now? One?"

Inu-yasha clenched his fist but knew that if he tried anything, he'd go running to Kagome. "As a matter of fact, I think I might've won her over tonight. Well… almost."

"Yeah, almost…until you were _rejected_!" Souta exploded into laughter.

Inu-yasha's face flushed red as the anger shot through his veins. "You saw that?" he asked through clenched teeth.

"The whole thing! She just flat-out walked away! And you were standing there like an idiot with your lips still puckered up…" Souta was cut off by his own laughter. He grasped his stomach trying to stop the pain that his giggles caused. When Souta had calmed down enough to fully open his eyes, Inu-yasha was towering a good two feet over him with a murderous look on his face. His eyes had such a flame in them that they almost looked red.

Needless to say, Souta shut up quicker than lightning and took cover behind his arms. Since he still had Inu-yasha's jacket on, the enormous sleeves covered his whole head.

Inu-yasha was just about to pound the hell out of him when his mind registered the fact that his jacket on the kid. "Why are you wearing my jacket?" He really tried to keep his voice from being too malicious.

Souta gulped behind the protection of the cloth.

Inu-yasha sighed. "I'm not going to hurt you," he said although he wasn't making promises. Souta peeked out from behind the white sleeve. Inu-yasha tried his best to look as innocent and harmless as he could. Souta ducked behind the sleeve again and Inu-yasha guessed that his best wasn't enough. "Oh come on!" Inu-yasha said impatiently. "I just want to talk now. I won't kill you…yet." Souta shuddered. "I didn't mean that! Um… Look, you're Kagome's little brother, I'd never hurt her or her family." Souta seemed to believe that. By now, Inu-yasha had cooled off a little. Souta seemed uncertain but fully stood up now.

"Come on," Inu-yasha said and pointed to the bench hidden by the willow branches. "Let's sit."

The light from the lantern light flickered across his hesitant face. He had a feeling this conversation would be bad. He slowly followed Inu-yasha behind the willow branches. The willow trees were a pale green and quite healthy. Inu-yasha was sitting on the bench already and patted the seat next to him, meaning for Souta to sit down next to him. Souta sat on the opposite side of the bench.

It was quiet for a moment or two. The lilacs surrounding the small clearing glowed a dull gold. The scent was still overpowering even though they weren't close to the flowers any more. Inu-yasha too a deep breath, drinking in the feminine scent. It was so calming…

"Now," Inu-yasha said slowly, "will you tell me why you're wearing my jacket?"

"Kagome," Souta said in a high voice. After he cleared his voice he continued. "Kagome asked me to bring it to you. She forgot to give it to you after…" Souta didn't want to bring up that subject again. "…after… well, you know. She didn't want to talk to you, especially after…" He gulped.

Inu-yasha was amused by his effort to not bring up "that" again but he didn't let it show at all. "That still doesn't explain why _you're_ wearing it." Souta flinched a little at the anger that was still apparent in his voice.

"I couldn't find you. When I saw that you weren't near or in your car, I started to look around. After the first five minutes, it got cold. And you're jacket looked so warm…"

"You didn't bring your own jacket?" Inu-yasha asked impatiently.

"I didn't know I was going to be out here for nearly ten minutes!" Souta defended himself.

"Alright!" Inu-yasha matched Souta's tone. "Why did you spy on me?" he asked accusingly.

Souta looked a little guilty and said, "I didn't mean to at first. But when I heard the word 'tepeed' I decided to listen in."

"You shouldn't have eavesdropped!" Inu-yasha said harshly.

"You shouldn't have tepeed our house!" Souta shot back.

Inu-yasha opened his mouth to protest but then realized that the boy was right. He sighed tiredly and said, "I didn't know it was _her_ house. If I did, this wouldn't have happened."

"Think of it this way: if you hadn't, you wouldn't have had so much fun with Kagome today," Souta said warmly.

Inu-yasha paused to consider it and then smiled. "Yeah, you're right," he said softly. "But she still doesn't like me enough to kiss me…"

Souta sighed. "It isn't you, you know," he said softly.

"What?" Inu-yasha looked into Souta's eyes fully, confusion obvious in his eyes.

"She doesn't hate you."

Inu-yasha had a hard time believing that. Souta saw the doubtful glint in Inu-yasha's eye.

Souta looked uncertain now, like he wasn't sure he should be saying anything to him. "She… has a bad past. It makes some of the boys she knows (and may want to date) off-limits."

"What happened to her?" Inu-yasha asked intrigued.

Souta bit his lower lip and said, "It really isn't my place to tell you… It should come out of her mouth, not mine."

**(I bet you thought you'd find out the secret right now. Guess again! Muahaha, being evil is so much fun! Lol!)**

Inu-yasha looked disappointed. Souta studied his look for a minute and then said, "Look, you have two options: either give up on her or keep bugging her until she gives in. She'll tell you if she knows you well enough."

"How do you know?" Inu-yasha asked.

"That's what happened with Sango."

Inu-yasha blinked. "You mean her friend?"

"Yeah," Souta said. "Sango pushed Kagome for a whole year before she finally gave in."

"A whole year!" Inu-yasha exclaimed.

"A whole year," Souta confirmed.

"Fuck that! I'm not waiting a whole damn year!"

Souta looked at Inu-yasha with surprise. He didn't think of Inu-yasha as the quitting type. "You mean you're giving up!" he exclaimed incredulously.

"Hell no! I never said that! I mean that I'm gonna get her in six weeks or less! Not a whole fucking year!" Inu-yasha said with a determined glint in his eyes.

Souta's doubtful look dissipated. He smiled warmly. "So you'll still try to get her?"

"Of course! You didn't think I was going to give up, did you?" Inu-yasha asked with an accusing look.

Souta shook his head vigorously. "No, of course not!"

Inu-yasha grinned at him. Then he looked confused. "Why do you want me to get with Kagome?" he asked after a pause, looking straight at him.

Souta looked down at his shoes. "We may fight a lot but I still love her. I can tell that she's really hurt and sad when she can't have a guy she wants."

"She wants me?" Inu-yasha asked hopefully.

"I didn't say that," Souta said with a side-ways glance (Inu-yasha looked depressed), "but I've never seen her so sad… she looked worse than ever after she closed the door."

Inu-yasha thought a minute. Then he said to himself out loud, "Never give up on a project."

"Project?" Souta asked baffled.

"It's this thing I do every year," Inu-yasha explained. "It's like my big goal for the year. Your sister just happens to be my project this year." Inu-yasha looked at Souta and said, "So I'm not going to give up on her. I can't give up. My projects are meant to be hard and challenging. When your sister refuses me, it only makes me want to win her over even more."

Souta nodded happily. Then he got an evil look in his eye. "So, if you don't get her in six weeks, can I tell her?"

"Tell her what?" They'd gone too far from the original subject so Inu-yasha was kinda clueless.

"That you were the one who tepeed our house," Souta said with that same villainous look.

"Tell her!" Inu-yasha raged. "Hell no! Never tell her! Ever in a million years! She'd kill me, whether she loved me or not!"

"Exactly," Souta said. "More fun for me. If you aren't going out with her by day one of the seventh week then I win and I get to tell her."

"Why would you want to do that?" Inu-yasha couldn't believe this little boy was so merciless, even to a fellow male.

"Nothing is more fun than tormenting siblings!"

"But I'm not your sibling!" Inu-yasha pleaded.

"No, but whether you're _my_ brother or not, I'm still _a _little brother. It is my nature to annoy older kids," Souta said happily. "Besides, do you know how funny it would be to see the look on your face when Kagome comes at you with sharp and pointy objects?" He laughed.

Inu-yasha's jaw was wide open once again.

Souta laughed again and pointed at his face. "It'd look something like that," he said gleefully.

Inu-yasha angrily (but embarrassedly) snapped his jaw back into place. "I can't believe this," he said to himself. "Even I'm not evil enough to do something like this."

"It's okay if you can't do it," Souta mocked. "I understand if you're not determined enough to chase her so hard like Sango did. You know, Kagome's _female_ friend. I mean, after all, you'd only have six weeks. You probably couldn't do much in such little time, I mean, it is _you_ we're talking about."

"WHAT?" Inu-yasha's blood boiled.

"It's okay," Souta said as he reached over and pat Inu-yasha on the back. "I understand. I'll just tell Kagome now then since you're going to give up."

Inu-yasha's face looked a little disfigured for a minute. His rage kept him from even uttering words.

Souta burst out laughing again.

"You're on!" Inu-yasha finally spat out. "Six weeks. If she isn't my girlfriend by then, you can tell her. But I highly doubt it will even take two weeks."

"I'll be sure to break it to her easily."

Inu-yasha grit his teeth. "You won't be 'breaking' anything to her!"

"We'll see about that!" Souta thrust out his pinky. "Pinky swear!"

Inu-yasha grabbed his pinky with his own so roughly that Souta nearly fell over. They broke apart and then he growled, "Kami, if I had a little brother, he wouldn't be as worse as you."

"I know," Souta said smugly, "'cause I'm the best!" Inu-yasha narrowed his eyes at him.

Souta looked at Inu-yasha who had crossed his arms across his chest stubbornly. "Why did you even tepee the house in the first place?" he asked.

Inu-yasha relaxed a little. "It's just my nature. I can't help it. I have to pull pranks on other people. I can't function without a good laugh."

Souta looked at him questioningly. That's a little harsh isn't it?"

"Oh, and since when do _you_ have sympathy?" Inu-yasha growled.

"Since you did it to our house and I learned how much it really isn't funny."

Inu-yasha grinned. "It's still funny. Even if it was my house, I'd laugh."

"No you wouldn't," Souta said matter-of-factly. "You'd hunt them down like a dog."

"Don't act like you know me," Inu-yasha growled.

"But you know it's true."

"Is not," Inu-yasha said. He knew it was true but there was no way he was going to admit to this little boy that he was wrong.

Souta seemed used to denial (experience from Kaogme) and shrugged. "So what's the last prank you pulled?"

"Doesn't matter."

"I wanna know," he whined.

"Why?"

"Well, if you're as good as you say you are and do start to go out with Kagome then I want to know about the boy she's dating."

Inu-yasha scoffed. "You sound like a mother."

"Yeah right," Souta said doubtfully. The truth was that he still didn't quite trust Inu-yasha. After all, he did almost kill him. Souta was just looking after his big sister. He did this with every boy friend (**notice the space between the words**) she had.

"It's just that," Souta continued, "sometimes I have to help Kagome "chase off" some of the guy friends she has. I find that it's easier to do that if I have a little background knowledge on them."

Inu-yasha couldn't help but think that this kid was smart. He did that before he tepeed the house (but we all know that it didn't quite work out as planned). "So you're trying to chase me off?" Inu-yasha asked.

"No, not yet. I only do that if Kagome asks me to."

"So how do you "chase" people off?" Inu-yasha thought that he could take lessons from this kid.

"Well, sometimes, I am just as annoying as I possible can be. Most guys leave once they think that they have to deal with me in order to keep Kagome. Sometimes you have to scare them off. Like finding out something about their past and blackmailing."

"Blackmailing?" Inu-yasha asked. It couldn't be true that this little kid would blackmail… right?

"Yeah. Once, I threatened some guy to tell Kagome that he wore cat pajamas and slept with a big purple teddy bear (which he called Snooky-poo) if he didn't leave her alone. Those are the best because either way, they lose. They either lose Kagome or they lose their dignity… and then Kagome."

Inu-yasha just stared. This kid was amazing. He was clever and merciless when needed. The little boy didn't seem so harmless at first glance… Now Inu-yasha thought otherwise.

"But I was thinking of using a new strategy to get rid of them: pranking," Souta continued. "That's also why I asked you. You might be able to help me."

Inu-yasha just kept on staring. Then he got the same evil look as Souta and said, "If it's to scare away boys getting too close to _my_ Kagome, then I think you have yourself a deal."

Souta shook his outstretched hand. "Alright then," he grinned. "This should be fun… even though Kagome isn't even yours yet."

Inu-yasha's eyebrow twitched. "She will be."

Souta frowned mockingly. "Doubtful."

Inu-yasha clenched his fist. "I suggest you not act so cocky around me. You know I'm just gonna make you eat your words."

"Yeah right," Souta scoffed.

Inu-yasha pulled a fist back.

"Don't even think about it!" Souta said with only a hint of fear. Over the past half hour or so, he'd gotten to know Inu-yasha too well to be really scared of him.

"Or you'll what?" Inu-yasha said in a low menacing voice.

Souta took a deep breath and screamed at the top of his lungs. "KAGO—"

Inu-yasha clamped his upraised hand over Souta's still open mouth. "Alright, I get it," Inu-yasha growled in a whisper.

He released Souta and he had a smirk playing on his lips. "I win," he said smugly.

Inu-yasha balled his fists up tight. "I hate you," he said. It wasn't harsh but it definitely wasn't nice either.

Souta smiled and then sweetly said, "I love you too big brother!"

**Haha, Souta's so funny in this chapter! Yes, a little OOC but still funny. Besides, how do we really know what Souta is like? We don't see him as often as everyone else in the story. So, Inu-yasha's little secret is still unknown to Kagome. Is he going to beat the six week time limit? What will come out of the little alliance that Souta and Inu-yasha have? How the hell is Inu-yasha going to get Kagome love him? Hmm... so many questions but no answers. You have to keep reading to find out. Muahaha! Anyway, please review! They're really appreciated! Thank you so much!**

**Hiko**


	8. Chapter 8: Catching Up

**Oh my god! I'm SO sorry! It's been WAY too long since I last updated! I've been crushed with homework lately. I had a writer's cramp for a while too... Anyway, I really hope you'll forgive my lateness! I didn't mean to do it, I swear! I'll really try to not do it again! Okay, I think I should probably clear something upbefore I keep going. All my characters are humans. Inu-yasha, Sesshomaru, and Inutaisho don't have any demonic powers. Their hair is still silver but none of them have supernatural powers. Oh, and Inu-yasha's ears are human, not the cute puppy dog ears we all love. Sorry! I love them as much as the next fan but I had to do it for my story. Now that I got that straight, I guess I should let you read now huh? Well, here's chapter eight! Enjoy!**

**Previously on "The Project":**

_Inu-yasha balled his fists up tight. "I hate you," he said. It wasn't harsh but it definitely wasn't nice either._

_Souta smiled and then sweetly said, "I love you too big brother!"_

**Chapter Eight**

**Aftermath**

"Alright, boy," Inu-yasha said with a sigh, "you'd better get inside. Kagome's probably worried by now."

Souta scoffed and said, "She's asleep by now."

"Even so," Inu-yasha said while standing up, "if you catch a cold, she'll know how long you've been out here talking to me." It had been a good forty-five minutes.

Souta frowned. He wanted to keep talking, but he stood up too.

Inu-yasha walked Souta out of the lilac garden and to the front door before taking his jacket back. After waving bye, he went down the stairs toward his car. As he walked down, he remembered the fun he and Kagome had that day, on these stairs. Before he got back into his car, he looked back at Kagome's house and a smile crept across his face.

As Inu-yasha drove he thought of what pranks he was going to pull the next day. But his thoughts kept wondering back to Kagome. It had only been two days and he felt he was already winning her over. He had a feeling that she at least liked him by now, even if she wasn't going to admit it. But it seemed that her past was still nagging at her, preventing him from getting as close to her as he would like.

But it was possible to break through her defensive wall. Her friend, Sango, had done it. It had taken a whole year but she did it. Maybe he should get some background information on Sango first. That would be a good start. Maybe it could tell him something. But he'd have to get close to her first, which could be hard, especially since, according to Miroku, she was being just as cold as Kagome was. He knew that he wouldn't find out anything about Kagome from Sango. They were pretty close and Sango didn't seem like the kind to just tell everyone her best friend's personal shit. So he'd only try to learn something about Sango. Besides, if Sango expected that he was only using her to get to Kagome, she'd just become even more distant and impossible. Besides, like Kagome said, you had to be nice to the girl's friends.

And what about Souta? That kid was something else. Inu-yasha wondered why Souta told him all his techniques though. If Souta ever needed to chase him off then he couldn't use those strategies. Well he could, but Inu-yasha would've found out a way to counter then by the time Souta decided to use them. That kid really baffled him. But there was no way some cute innocent looking boy who turned out to be no-so-innocent would stop him from getting Kagome.

As he thought of a way to gain Sango's trust and how he was going to outsmart Souta, he arrived at his house. Correction: he arrived close enough to his house to see that all of the lights were still on. It was about eleven o'clock and his father was still waiting for him.

He had two choices: either get yelled at tonight or go over to Miroku's house to sleep and get it tomorrow. Thinking it was a no-brainer, Inu-yasha put the car into drive and took off down the street.

xXx

Inu-yasha got to Miroku's house in record time and walked in. His parents still weren't home. Inu-yasha made a mental note to ask his friend what was taking them so long. He probably didn't know though since the family hardly ever even spoke to each other. Miroku always wished he had Inu-yasha's parents.

"Miroku?" Inu-yasha's voice rang through the small home. He wearily tossed his keys onto an end table near the front door.

"Inu-yasha?" Miroku poked his head into the hallway. He wasn't wearing a shirt; just some casual jeans that showed just a bit too much of his boxers. "What are you doing here?"

Inu-yasha sighed. "I need a place to sleep."

Miroku smirked. "Trying to delay your beating?"

Inu-yasha nodded tiredly. He dragged his feet to the cluttered couch and threw himself onto it.

"Are you that tired?" Miroku asked with the smirk still present.

Inu-yasha flung his arm over his eyes in an attempt to block some of the light that was coming from the overhead light. Miroku could only tell that he nodded because his hand moved slightly.

"Are you too tired to tell me what the hell happened tonight?" Another barely noticeable nod. "Then at least tell me why you hung up on me." There wasn't a response. A few moments later when Miroku was going to repeat his question, he heard a soft snore.

Miroku sighed and shook his head. _Might as well let him sleep,_ he thought.

xXx

"…yasha? Inu…" Noise faded in and out of Inu-yasha's ears. "Inu-yash…" Inu-yasha groaned a little. He knew what was happening. "God dammit Inu-yasha, get your lazy ass off my fucking couch!" Inu-yasha's eyes peeked open. Miroku's annoyed face filled his line of vision.

Inu-yasha groaned again and rolled over… except there was only air to roll over onto. He yelped and clawed desperately at the edge of the couch and the coffee table he hadn't noticed the night before out of instinct. A loud thud signaled his connection with the floor.

"Ow!" he complained.

Miroku's face split into a grin. "Serves you right," he said triumphantly.

Inu-yasha stood up, rubbing his behind painfully and putting a hand on his head. He had a tremendous headache.

Miroku mumbled 'finally' before heading off toward the bathroom. Inu-yasha stood there for a moment or two trying to figure out where he was. When he remembered, he wondered why he was there. Then it all came rushing back, giving him an even worse headache. He held his head, trying to stop the dizziness. He plopped back onto the couch and ran his hand through his silver hair. It didn't go far before it discovered a knot the size of Connecticut. He growled and lay back on the couch; the dizziness was winning.

He closed his eyes and the next thing he knew, Miroku was standing in front of him in a towel and water dripping down his muscular body. His hair held tiny water droplets. "Inu-yasha, _get up_!"

Inu-yasha shot up from the couch and exclaimed, "I wasn't sleeping!"

"I didn't say you were!" Miroku shouted and went back to his room to get clothes on.

Another wave of dizziness washed over Inu-yasha from getting up too fast. He fell back onto the couch involuntarily. His head was pounding. He glanced at his watch and didn't care that it said '7:30', which meant that he should've been leaving the house ten minutes.

He must've dozed again because the next thing he knew, the now fully clothed Miroku was there right next to him. He dimly registered Miroku's hand reaching out. But as soon as his freezing hand came into contact with his forehead, he yelped and jumped in surprise. He must've jumped higher than he thought because he his foot caught the back of the couch and sent him flying head first into the floor. Just one more thing to make his headache worse.

After he jumped up, he shouted, "What the fuck were you doing!"

"Inu-yasha, it's 7:50. We should be at the school by now. And you still haven't even changed… Hey, are those my clothes…?"

"Why the hell did you touch me!" he yelled, ignoring Miroku's question.

Miroku, after further inspecting Inu-yasha's wrinkled black button up shirt and wife beater and confirming to himself that they were his clothes, said, "I thought you looked a little sick so I checked and I was right; your head is burning up."

"It is not! Your hand is just freezing!"

"No, it's not. My hand his normal temperature. You're just so hot that it seems freezing to you."

Inu-yasha furrowed his brow and put his own hand up to his forehead. "Wow," was all he said.

"Told you." Miroku disappeared into the bathroom down the hall toward his room and came back with something in his hand. He tossed a thermometer at him as he went to the kitchen. Inu-yasha stubbornly put it under his tongue. He sat back onto the couch (stubbornly), crossed his arms across his chest (stubbornly), and glared at everything (stubbornly). He watched Miroku open and close cupboards and pulling out hot tea boxes. Inu-yasha wrinkled his nose in disgust. He hated tea.

Miroku walked back over to Inu-yasha. The thermometer just started to beep when he sat down on the coffee table. Inu-yasha just glared at nothing in particular as Miroku pulled the thermometer out of his mouth. He looked at it and furrowed his brow.

"You'll make a good mom when you grow up and have kids," Inu-yasha mocked.

Miroku stood up before saying, "You have a 102.8 fever." Inu-yasha's jaw dropped. Miroku walked back to the bathroom to put the thermometer back. When he came back he said, "I have to go but I took out some tea for you. Have at least one cup today and try to sleep as much as you can."

Inu-yasha rolled his eyes and said, "Yes, Mother." Miroku glared but didn't say anything. He grabbed his backpack and was just about to go out the door when Inu-yasha remembered something. "What about your parents?"

"Anniversary," he answered shortly. "They won't be back until the weekend." And he was out the door.

Inu-yasha sat there. He couldn't believe it. It was only the third day of school and he was already out sick. And what about his project? He only had six weeks now. He wanted to work on Kagome more than ever now. There was also the matter of his pranks that he had to catch up on. When Souta asked what the last prank he'd done was, he realized that he was behind. He felt the beginnings of that feeling he always got in the pit of his stomach. He should've known his fever wouldn't stop it from coming.

With an evil look, he got an idea to solve that issue. He'd save it for later though. He grudgingly went to the kitchen to make his tea. Stupid tea.

After he boiled some water and made his tea, he settled down on the table in the living room. As he sipped it, he thought of what he was going to do. There was no way in hell that he was staying inside this house all day. He'd have to go home to shower and change. He couldn't steal more of Miroku's clothes. If he remembered correctly, he still had three other outfits that Miroku owned. He got them all the same way: going here after a major prank and accidentally sleeping in.

He hoped his father hadn't decided to stay home from work. He really doubted it since everyone knew Inutaisho always had too much work to do. No way his father was _that _mad at him… right?

Thinking too far ahead about what he was going to do with his day hurt his head, so Inu-yasha just kept sipping his still-hot tea.

Kagome crossed his head multiple times but he tried hard to ignore it. Then he remembered that Kagome walked home after school. Something they'd talked about the night before came to mind and he smiled. He knew what he was going to do but that was after school. Until then, he had other things in mind. Deciding that his shower was more important at the moment, he grabbed his keys and went out the door. (He hadn't even taken his shoes off the night before.)

He arrived at his home. It was impossible to tell if someone was still home since no light would be on in the daytime. He parked a block away and sneaked up to the garage. After punching in the code he waited apprehensively looking at the spot where his father's car usually is.

Gone. So was Sesshomaru's car. Inu-yasha sighed in pure relief. He let himself in through the front door and peered cautiously inside. It was completely deserted. Another sigh escaped Inu-yasha's lips. So far so good.

Inu-yasha didn't wonder why he was so paranoid. His father had surprised him once before. It was about a month ago…

_xXx Flashback xXx_

Inu-yasha had just pulled a prank on the nearby church. The church's theme had to do with the pureness of their God, so the church's outer and inner walls were the purest white. He splashed pitch black paint onto every outer wall. (He couldn't get a hold of the key to the church key before that night so he couldn't do the inner walls.) He had to get Miroku's help to finish it in time. But even with the help, they weren't done until one in the morning.

He was just getting home. The all the lights were off so he didn't really try to be quiet. Just when he was about to head up the stairs, the lights flicked. His father was leaning on the wall next to the light switch.

"Where were you?" his father asked bluntly. Inu-yasha was frozen on the spot and he couldn't utter a word. His father took a step toward him. "I asked you a question Inu-yasha."

"Miroku's house." It was the only thing he could come up with on the spot.

"Do you often wear black pants, black hats, and black sweaters when you go to Miroku's house?"

Busted. He'd forgotten about his clothes.

"We were… playing hide-n-seek outside?" he said nervously. It was more like a question the way he said it. It was like he was asking if that was a good enough excuse to keep going on his merry way.

"Inu-yasha…" Inutaisho warned.

Inu-yasha bit lightly on his lower lip. He knew his father wanted him to come right out and say what they were doing. But he also knew that his father already had a good idea of what he had done.

"What were you doing?" Inutaisho asked. His voice was regal and calm. It scared Inu-yasha when he spoke softly like that. It meant he was trying to refrain from shouting.

Inu-yasha finally just rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Why do you ask me if you already know?" he said in a smart-aleck tone.

"Don't get smart with me, Inu-yasha," he said in that same soft-calm voice although there was a hint of anger. "Just tell me what you were doing."

Inu-yasha twitched nervously. He sighed and said, "Miroku and I went out and pulled a prank on St. Mary's church." He studied his father's face.

Inutaisho narrowed his eyes at him.

_xXx End of Flashback xXx_

Needless to say, that night was spent listening to his father's enraged voice until three in the morning. That was one thing Inu-yasha didn't want to repeat.

Trying to be as quiet as possible, he tip-toed to the stairs leading to his room. It seemed like no one was there but he didn't want to take any chances. The first step he put his foot on creaked noisily.

"Shhh!" he whispered, even though the stairs couldn't hear him. He took a deep breath and then tried the next step.

_Creak!_

Inu-yasha tensed up and waited a moment. He rolled his eyes in frustration and prepared himself to run up the stairs. Might as well get it over with.

"Inu-yasha?" a familiar voice sounded from across the room. Inu-yasha's eyes widened and he froze.

_Not again!_ he thought.

**Another cliffie! Muhaha! It's so fun writing those. I didn't have one last chapter so I have to catch up. So, Inu-yasha's in trouble again. Poor little puppy! I feel so sorry for him! Anyway, sorry this one isn't as long as my other chapters. I wanted to end it at a really good part and this was just the place. I also just wanted to get this chapter up on the site before I see a mob or something. Lol! Well, I hope you liked it. Thank you so much to all my reviewers. You guys have no idea how much you affect my writing. Anyway, see you next time! bye!**

**Hikoboshi18**


	9. Chapter 9: First Date

**Hello people! Hikoboshi here (finally!)! I'm SO sorry it took so long to finish this chapter! I had writer's cramp for a while but now I'm fine (hopefully). Okay, Chapter Nine! This is my longest chapter though so hopefully that makes up for the long wait. This chapter has a lot of talking. I don't think it's as funny as my others but it'll get funny in the next chapter. That's when more pranks come in. Anyway, here's chapter nine! Enjoy!**

**Previously on "The Project":**

_Inu-yasha tensed up and waited a moment. He rolled his eyes in frustration and prepared himself to run up the stairs. Might as well get it over with. _

"_Inu-yasha!" a familiar voice sounded from across the room. Inu-yasha's eyes widened and he froze. _

Not again_! he thought._

**Chapter Nine**

**First Date**

Inu-yasha squeezed his eyes shut. _This isn't happening,_ he thought. _It can't be happening. I was so close and so quiet…_

"Inu-yasha?" the voice said again. Inu-yasha finally opened his eyes and looked across the room to meet the eyes of his doom.

Inu-yasha blinked. His eyes filled with nothing but… relief.

"Tami?" he asked just to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. She had her maid's uniform on and a dusting rag in her hand.

"Boy, what are you doing here?" she shouted. She was the only one who called him 'boy' like that. Her fury was apparent but she was way better than Inutaisho.

A sigh escaped Inu-yasha's lips and his shoulders loosened up. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you."

Tami narrowed her eyes at him. "What the heck are you doing home? You should be at school young man!" She'd never curse on purpose. She doesn't unless something has really upsets her and it's hard to get her mad. She's usually a cheerful person.

As Inu-yasha walked across the room, he said, "I have a fever. I went to sleep at Miroku's house and come home to take a shower."

"Hmm," Tami said, eyes still narrowed. "Somehow I don't think that being sick is a good enough excuse to get your father to ease up."

Inu-yasha widened his eyes in fear. "He isn't here is he?"

"No." Inu-yasha sighed openly. "I was surprised since he didn't go to sleep until one in the morning waiting for you. He must've been tired." Tami looked at him accusingly.

Inu-yasha winced. Good thing he went to Miroku's house. Inu-yasha huffed a little when he remembered the truth: he shouldn't be grounded. "Tami, he shouldn't even be mad at me. I didn't do anything."

Tami crossed her arms. "From what I hear, you dyed his hair pink," she said with an amused look.

Inu-yasha scowled. "I didn't do that." Tami looked at him in pure doubt. "I really didn't!" he tried to defend himself. "It was Sesshomaru!" Tami looked amused at his preposterous accusations. Inu-yasha growled in frustration. "Come on Tami, do you think I'm stupid enough to prank Dad? I would've done it a long time ago if I didn't know this kind of thing would happen."

Tami looked at him thoughtfully. "Why would Sesshomaru do something like that?"

"So that he could get me back for what I did to him the other day. But he's started a war now and I can guarantee that I'm going to win," Inu-yasha said with a smug determined smile.

"Oh yes, the other day," Tami recalled. She smiled in remembrance. "I suppose that makes sense… But I highly doubt your father will be willing to listen, especially since you didn't even come home last night."

"I had a long day yesterday," Inu-yasha growled softly, remembering all the trouble he had to put up with just to be with Kagome. "I didn't want to put up with Dad's yelling when I shouldn't be grounded in the first place."

Tami looked at him quizzically. If he was lying, she could see right through it. She didn't find anything on his face. "Alright," she sighed. "I believe you." Inu-yasha smiled. Suddenly remembering something, Tami put her hand on Inu-yasha's head. "My, my, you really do have a fever. Do you want some tea?"

"No!" Inu-yasha said quickly. "I already had some." He couldn't understand how anyone could like that nasty shit.

Tami smiled. "Okay. What do you plan on doing the rest of the day?"

Inu-yasha smiled mischievously. "Nothing, you know, just a little catching up." Tami shook her head. She knew very well what he was going to do. "You should probably take it easy today. In fact, you should catch up on your sleep. That's probably how you got sick in the first place."

Inu-yasha thought it was possible, seeing how he'd had very little sleep the last couple of days. But he couldn't sleep all day knowing that it was a perfect opportunity to get a couple of pranks in.

"I'll fix you some chicken noodle soup while you shower, okay?" Inu-yasha nodded happily. That was way better than tea. Inu-yasha went up the stairs (that creaked loudly) and into his room. He was so happy to be home. He missed his bed too. Miroku's couch had to be the lumpiest one in the world. He flopped onto the bed and smiled as soon as his head hit the missed pillow. After stretching out he closed his eyes with a content smile on his face. After few moments, he felt himself getting drowsy so he got up to take his shower.

xXx

Tami and Inu-yasha were in the brightly lit kitchen. Its place was off to the side of the large dining/living room. The kitchen resembled restaurant kitchens in layout, where it was separate from the rest of the area but was its own room. There was a large preparation counter in the center with various spices and utensils laid out. On the sides were black marble counter tops were Tami busied herself with cleaning them. Inu-yasha had pulled a stool up so he could talk to Tami as he ate.

Inu-yasha slurped the noodles noisily. He was getting broth everywhere but he didn't care too much. "Thank you Tami," he said between mouthfuls.

Tami smiled in response and started to wash the pot she had cooked his noodles in. "So, how do you plan on getting Sesshomaru back?" Tami often asked about Inu-yasha's pranks to make sure they weren't too overboard or too harmful.

Inu-yasha bit off the noodle he was eating to answer. "I'm thinking of something along the lines of his precious car…" He ended in an evil grin and a villainous chuckle.

Tami sideways glanced at him. "It isn't gonna be too mean is it? You know, not like you did with his last car?"

Inu-yasha laughed in remembrance. To get back at Sesshomaru for taking his car without his permission and then just _happening_ to crash it into the biggest damn tree in the world, Inu-yasha had not only given his brother's car a new paint job (it was black but was transformed into pink with yellow polka dots), but had also taken the seats out and put them in his bedroom. That way, once he woke up with leather car seats in his bed with him, he'd know something was very wrong.

"I don't think I want to do that again. Dad was so mad when Sesshomaru demanded a new car. I'll figure something else out." Inu-yasha's trademark smirk was in place. Tami shook her head. Inu-yasha guessed her thoughts were along the lines of 'Sesshomaru's gonna get a new car soon.' "Or I might do something do his hair…" Inu-yasha said mysteriously. Yet another evil grin was playing across his face.

"Not like last time, right?" Tami asked with another sideways glance.

Inu-yasha burst into laughter again. He was only ten years old at the time. Like any little brother, he was bored out of his mind and, also like any little brother, his source of entertainment was to pick on his brother. His plan was to scare his brother a little with the scissors. He was going to snip a small portion off his dear brother's hair, enough for Sesshomaru to hear, just to see his reaction. Sesshomaru was on the couch, hunched over his seventh grade homework. His hair was lying over the back of the couch. Inu-yasha slipped behind the black leather couch and came in for the kill. Only the plan didn't work out because just when he was cutting, Sesshomaru just had to lean his head back to rest his aching neck.

"It was an accident!" That was the first thing out of Inu-yasha's mouth the second he realized that more than half of Sesshomaru's knee-long hair was laying in a pile at his feet. He did get in trouble for it but not as much as Sesshomaru wanted to have him in. Sesshomaru had lost about three feet of sliver hair that day.

Inu-yasha finished up his noodles just then, his laughter only just now receding. "Okay, I'm gonna go to the store to stock up on pranking supplies. Do you need anything for dinner or something?"

Tami looked thoughtful for a moment and then said, "I think we're running low on bread and milk. Oh, and get me a jar of tomato sauce and two packs of angel hair spaghetti noodles." Inu-yasha concluded that spaghetti was on the menu tonight.

"Will do," Inu-yasha said as he went through the kitchen door and into the huge living room.

"Take it easy!" Tami's muffled voice called through the door. "I don't want you to get even worse!"

Inu-yasha rolled his eyes and said in an annoyed voice, "Okay."

"Don't roll your eyes at me! Just because I can't see you doesn't mean I don't know that's exactly what you're doing!" Inu-yasha laughed in response.

Inu-yasha wearily stared his car engine and took off. That didn't go too bad. As he drove he thought about various things, Kagome among them. His plan was to take her sight-seeing after school since she said she still hadn't seen everything. While he was waiting, he was going busy himself with pranking Miroku. What he had planned for Sesshomaru had to be put off until tonight.

He was worried about whether or not Kagome would accept his proposal or not. She had said sometime but he could guarantee that she didn't necessarily mean the very next day. He wondered how he'd convince her. Since she'd be walking home when he caught up with her, she'd have no choice but to listen to his proposal. That was good. But that didn't mean she had to say yes. He didn't want to force her. He'd just make her feel guilty to say no. That always worked.

Inu-yasha pulled up to the large bright store. As he walked to the door, he felt his head with his palm. It was still pounding. He hoped that it wouldn't prevent him from continuing with his plans. Kagome might say no if she knew that he was sick. But since he wasn't in school, he'd have to give some explanation as to his absence. She probably thought he skipped class since it wasn't every day that someone got sick on only the third day of school. He could just say it was a minor fever. He just hoped that she didn't have the urge to feel his head like two other people had that day without his permission.

Inu-yasha finally made his way to the front door where other people strode in an out of the sliding doors. There weren't many people here since it was not even noon. Inu-yasha smiled at that. It meant he could get in and out quickly. He didn't want to spend too much time in the store when he could be busy pranking some unsuspecting victim.

The boy made a bee-line straight for the party supplies. He picked out five of the largest bags of confetti he could find and placed them in the red basket he'd taken from the front of the store. They were the smallest and most brightly colored on the shelf, which was exactly what Inu-yasha had wanted. He then got three roles of streamers of the ugliest colors he could find (lime green, brownish orange, and one that he didn't even know what to call). He also picked up three bags of water balloons. Then he wandered the shelves in search of some chalk. After he got a large bucket full of chalk, he got all the things Tami had asked for.

Inu-yasha had worked out what he wanted to do as he drove here. He knew exactly what he was going to do to get Sesshomaru back. He also had plans to prank Miroku a little, just for fun. But his primary focus was on Sesshomaru. He was going to get him back good.

xXx

Inu-yasha took a deep insecure breath. Now, he'd come to the last thing he needed. But he'd have to venture down the repugnant and perilous hall to get it. No man had ever dared to trespass into such a precarious environment. He had to get in an out fast, for his life depended on it. The item he desired to obtain was the worst part about it. If anyone observed him even near the wretched article, his life would end on the spot. Stone cold dead.

Inu-yasha considered whether or not he should ditch his basket. It would increase his chances of getting away with this never-before-attempted act, so he decided it was worth it. After putting his basket on the end of the ominous hallway, he said a silent prayer and looked at his prize. Just the look of it sent chills through the course of his body. He had to get it in order to fully get Sesshomaru back though. It should be worth it, he assured himself. But when he glanced at the pink object again, he shrunk back.

Inu-yasha took one last wavering breath. He looked on either side of him to make sure the coast was clear. After reassuring himself one more time he looked straight ahead. The easiest way, he decided, was to run down the hall, grab the hideous object, and come out on the other end, that was assuming there was and end to all this appalling objects that women seemed to think were so cute. He'd play it cool once he reached the other end. He'd hide his prize so there was no chance of being caught. He'd then get to his basket as soon as he could and continue on his merry way. The plan was fool-proof.

The boy narrowed his eyes at his object of desire. One… two… three! Inu-yasha took off down the hall, trying to ignore the frightening voices that seemed to emit from all the frilly objects on the shelves. The bright hair bows and designer hair products screamed at him, trying to convince him to stop, take a look at them and take them off their cursed shelf. This was any man's nightmare but he had to _live _through it. He reached the cylinder of pink ribbon and grabbed it. He tried to keep running but the damn thing was attached to something, causing him to be yanked back. He panicked, and wrenched the cylinder off its hook and continued to run full speed.

He could see the light at the end of the hall. His spirits soared and his eyes got bigger at the thought of victory. He was only a few feet away when the light started to fade away. A silhouette stood there and Inu-yasha gasped in slow motion before running straight into the person.

_Dammit! _he thought. Now his entire plan had been ruined by this one person. They'd better hope he couldn't get his hands around their neck, for he'd surely strangle them to death. He looked menacingly down at the frail body who had ruined his day. His hands cracked as they formed a tight circle and he imagined their neck was inside it.

But it wasn't meant to be. As soon as he fully saw the person rubbing her butt and saying in her sing-song voice 'ow,' he knew that his life was over. He hadn't expected this at all. He felt like crying but he couldn't embarrass himself ever further in front of _her_.

"Kagome!" he exclaimed when he caught his breath. She was wearing a black skirt that flared and went to her mid-thigh. She had on a v-shaped pink shirt whose sleeves were a see-through material cut halfway to complete the style. A flowery pink purse occupied the space next to her, no doubly dropped when she fell. She had on black and pink high heels that matched her outfit perfectly. Her long black hair was up in a ponytail with two long strands hanging out in front to serve as bangs. The outfit showed off her curves and cleavage wonderfully. It was a big change from the baggy jeans and large black hoody that Inu-yasha had grown accustomed to seeing Kagome wear.

"Kagome, are you alright?" Inu-yasha asked concernedly. He helped her up as he had the last time they were in this situation. He was careful to not overestimate her weight though.

"Ow!" she said distractedly with a pouting lip, oblivious as to what the young man had said. She massaged the pained area. "Watch where you're going, you jerk!" She harshly pushed his caring arms away.

Inu-yasha retreated a little from her hostility but recovered quickly. "Look, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to, honest. It was an accident. I didn't see you."

"Sure you didn't!" she said sarcastically. She huffed a moment more as she tried to tidy up her hair. She sighed annoyed when she saw her purse on the floor still. She bent down to pick it up and Inu-yasha leaned to get a better look…

She whipped around. By then, Inu-yasha was practically falling over. She gave him a death stare and said, "You're such and asshole." Then she looked at him up and down. The hostility immediately fled and a blush rushed into her cheeks. Inu-yasha looked at her with curiosity. She shook her head and desperately tried to find something to distract her. Her eyes settled on the forgotten pink ribbon in his hand. She smirked and said, "Do you like to do a little cross-dressing or something?"

Inu-yasha followed her line of sight and instantly blushed. He hid it behind him and said, "It's for a, uh, project I'm working on."

"You decided to use pink of all colors?"

Inu-yasha gritted his teeth and said, "That's what it looks like doesn't it?"

Kagome narrowed her eyes and the hostility returned. She turned on her heel and started to walk to the cash register.

"No, wait, wait, wait!" Inu-yasha called. He jogged to catch up to her. She looked straight ahead with an angry face. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so harsh. I was just… distracted."

Kagome threw a hostile side glance at him. Her eyes cooled a little and she slowed her pace. His face calmed her…

Inu-yasha grinned triumphantly to himself. Then he realized that something was out of place. "Hey, why aren't you in school? Are you sick too?" He jogged in front of her and put his hand up to her head.

She slapped his hand away and looked at him as if he were crazy. "Do you mind?" she exclaimed.

Inu-yasha looked at her quizzically. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she said harshly. "Is there something I can help you with? I just want to get home and not be bothered by some bastard who as nothing else better to do than to hit on girls." She walked faster.

Inu-yasha stopped in his tracks and stared at her in disbelief, mouth wide open. She had to be sick. Really sick. He ran to catch up to her. She was at the cash register now. "I'm sorry, can I make it up to you?"

Kagome stared off to the side, refusing to meet eye-contact. He saw her suddenly tense up. "What's the matter?" he asked instantly and looked over her shoulder. He groaned when he looked at the magazine her eyes seemed to be glued to.

It was a picture of him and his brother. Inu-yasha's black shirt was unbuttoned, exposing his well-toned abs while Sesshomaru's shirt was partially unbuttoned. Inu-yasha stood with his hands in his pockets and Sesshomaru sat on a chair with his leg over the other in a perfect business stance. They both wore black dress pants and seductive grins. In big bold letters, it proclaimed to every American, "**Inu-yasha and Sesshomaru Taisho**: Hot, Rich Bachelors Looking for Wives!" Of course it was Inutaisho's idea. He was concerned about the fact that neither of them had girlfriends. They had done that before school started and Inu-yasha had forgotten about it. Inutaisho had to threaten to take their cars for a month just to get them to do it.

Inu-yasha laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head.

"Inu-yasha?" she asked cautiously, her eyes still glued to the page.

"Yes?" Inu-yasha said uneasily.

"Is… Is that you?" She pointed to him in the magazine.

"Yeah," he said uncomfortably. This wasn't at all what he'd expected to happen today. First of all, she was supposed to be in school. She might be sick but if she was, then she could've told him that when he'd asked. Secondly, she usually wasn't so hostile to him. Maybe she's realized how close she's gotten to him and wants to stop that before it's too late. And thirdly, he didn't expect to see her so spellbound to some stupid picture of him. Yeah, it was one of the best pictures of him but it was odd to see her so interested.

"Kag—" he started.

"That's your brother right?" she asked and pointed to him.

"Yeah," he said with confusion. "You don't recognize him from school?"

Kagome didn't say anything; she just picked up the magazine and stared at it.

Inu-yasha got impatient. He decided it was now or never. "So I was thinking, um, do you want to go sight-seeing with me? I mean, since you said you hadn't seen—"

"Yes," she said and finally took her eyes off the picture to smile at him. "I'll go with you."

Inu-yasha's eyes bulged slightly in surprise but he shook it away lightly. "Well, are you free right now? I don't have anything better to do…" That was risky. He shouldn't have—

"Sure. Just let me just pay for this stuff." Kagome cheerfully did just that. As she did this, Inu-yasha stared in pure confusion and disbelief. First she was mean and huffy then she was nice all of the sudden. What caused her to change her mind? Some stupid picture in the magazine? Impossible. So what was it?

Inu-yasha paid for his items and followed her out of the store. "So," he started, "did you want to drop your car off at your house or meet somewhere?"

"One of my friends dropped me off. She should be back sometime soon. But I can call her to tell her I found another ride."

"Why would she drop you off? You don't have your own car?" Right after he said that, he remembered that she walked home from school.

"No, I have a car. I've been, um, grounded from it so I had to get my friend to give me a ride."

Inu-yasha smirked. "Grounded, huh?"

Kagome looked uncomfortable. "It was nothing. It wasn't even my fault."

Deciding it would be easier on her if he changed the subject, he asked, "Do you need to drop your stuff off at your house?"

Kagome looked uncomfortable again and then said, "That's okay. I didn't buy any food."

Inu-yasha shrugged. "Okay. Follow me, my car is this way." Inu-yasha went to the back of the parking lot where he parked his silver Spyder Eclipse. Kagome followed.

Kagome stopped in her tracks when she saw him walk up to the expensive car. "Th-This is yours?" she asked in disbelief.

Inu-yasha furrowed his brow in confusion. "Um, yeah. You saw it the yesterday when I drove past you. Remember?"

Kagome looked at him blankly and then said in embarrassment, "Oh yeah, I remember now. I just… forgot for a second." She cautiously made her way to his car.

Inu-yasha looked at her as if she were crazy. She was really acting weird today. Inu-yasha shrugged it off and continued to drive away.

"So why aren't you in school?" Inu-yasha asked to start a conversation. She never answered last time he asked.

Kagome shifted uneasily. "Um… I get out of school early."

Inu-yasha glanced at her. "Why?"

"I, um, passed most of my classes already, so now I only have to pass the classes I need to graduate."

"You're going to graduate this year? Aren't you only a junior?" Inu-yasha asked astonished.

"No, I'm a senior."

"Really? I always assumed you were a junior since you were in some of my classes."

Kagome laughed nervously and said, "Nope, I'm a senior… Wait, you're only a junior?" Inu-yasha nodded. "Oh." Inu-yasha couldn't help but think she sounded disappointed.

"Where do you want to go?" Inu-yasha changed the subject.

"Hm?" She looked oblivious.

"You know… Sight-seeing?" he attempted to jog her memory.

"Oh yes, um… We can go to the memorial."

Inu-yasha smiled and said, "The Washington memorial it is."

Inu-yasha's car pulled up in a parking lot a few minutes later. The memorial that resembled a pencil was not far off. The lush green fields surrounding the landmark were filled with old couples enjoying a nice walk and little kids on field trips running and laughing together in a joyous game of tag. Kites filled the air. Picnic blankets were spread out in shady places here and there.

Inu-yasha helped Kagome out of the car. "It's about lunch time," he said as he did so. "Do you want something to eat?"

Kagome smiled and said, "Yes, thank you."

Inu-yasha guided her to a hot dog stand all by its lonesome. The day was nice and hot dogs seemed appropriate. He bought her and himself a chili dog. They laughed at each other when they dropped cheese and meat on themselves. As they ate, they made their way towards the tall landmark.

"Wow," Kagome breathed.

Inu-yasha grinned and said, "Do you see all those flags around it?" Kagome nodded. They were aligned in a perfect circle around the memorial. "There's exactly fifty of them, one for each state."

Kagome smiled at him and said, "How do you know that?"

"I've lived here my whole life." Inu-yasha furrowed his brow at her. He'd told her that before. He felt disappointed that she didn't memorize the details of his life as he had to her life.

He shook the feeling off and then said, "Come on, let's go to the top." (**This was obviously before the 9/11 attacks. You can't do this anymore (I think).)**

xXx

Inu-yasha looked around impatiently. He tapped his foot, he sighed, and he paced, but nothing seemed to work. Just when he was about to go after her himself, he heard her panting. Kagome crawled up the steps blindly. When she reached the top and there was nothing else to climb, she collapsed on the hard cement floor. Her high-heel shoes where in her hands.

"Finally," they said in unison, Kagome exhaustedly and Inu-yasha impatiently. Then she glared at Inu-yasha. "You should've told me there wasn't an elevator!"

Inu-yasha looked away stubbornly. "I thought you'd be able to handle it. Not my fault you decided to wear heels today."

"If you knew I was wearing heels, then why did you suggest we go to the top?" Kagome exploded. She'd begun to get up.

Inu-yasha put his hand on the back of his head and stubbornly said, "I didn't know you were going to insist on wearing them until halfway up when you didn't have a choice."

Kagome brushed herself off and said defensively, "It would've ruined the whole outfit."

Inu-yasha threw his hands up in the air and yelled, "That's what you said fifteen minutes ago! But if you didn't notice, there isn't anyone here to see it anyway!"

"I want to look my best at all times. You never know who you might meet," Kagome said with a shy look at Inu-yasha.

Inu-yasha narrowed his eyes at her. He didn't expect her to be like this. He felt disappointed. He feared that this whole project was going downhill. He looked at her quizzically and said, "You never cared what you looked like when you were at school…"

Kagome's eyes widened and she looked away. "I, uh, wanted to learn more about style."

"And you did all this in one night?"

Kagome shifted uncomfortably. "Well, yeah."

Inu-yasha looked at her doubtfully. She was really off today. He shook it off and said, "I didn't make you come all the way up here for no reason. I figured the view would be worth the climb." He smiled one of his drop-dead-gorgeous smiles and held out his hand for her to take. Kagome blushed and took it willingly. He led her to a window and let go of her when they reached it.

Kagome looked out the window in wonder. She saw where they just were, the whole field. A lake further out sparkled in the golden sun. Couples too small to see walked around the lake with food in their hands. Birds flew from one pine tree to the next.

"Told you it would be worth it," Inu-yasha smirked.

Kagome didn't say anything. She just looked. After a moment she said, "That's the Lincoln Memorial over there right?" She pointed across the lake at the concrete building.

"Yep. Do you want to go there next?" Inu-yasha asked. Kagome nodded distractedly. "Come on," Inu-yasha said. He proceeded to run down the stairs.

Kagome looked down the stairs. She sighed and reluctantly followed him.

xXx

Inu-yasha and Kagome rode in the silver car down the open road. Kagome was glaring and Inu-yasha was pleading.

"I've never walked this much in my life," Kagome growled.

"I didn't know the Lincoln Memorial was that far away. We could see it from the Washington Memorial. How was I supposed to know we had to walk around the lake to get to it?" Inu-yasha said defensively.

"You've lived here your whole life right?" Kagome said. She didn't have to say anything else. Inu-yasha got the point.

"Yeah, but I've never had to go from the Washington to the Lincoln Memorial before."

Kagome just glared straight ahead. She didn't feel like talking anymore.

"Kagome," Inu-yasha sighed with a quick glance. He tried to keep his eyes on the road and on her at the same time. It was a hard task. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't know this would turn out so bad." Inu-yasha was relived to stop at a red traffic light.

Kagome turned to look out the window.

Inu-yasha put his hand on top of hers. She didn't move; she was frozen in place. He moved his other hand under her chin and forced her to look at him. "I'm sorry," he said as sincerely as he could. Kagome's gaze softened and she smiled a little. His angelic face made her forget why she was mad.

_Now or never_, Inu-yasha thought. He brought her face closer to his. Their lips were almost upon each other's…

_Beep! Beep!_

They both jumped and Inu-yasha looked at the road again. The light was green and the cars in the lane next to them were well ahead of them. "Oops!" Inu-yasha laughed and sped forward. Kagome blushed and looked away out the window.

As they drove away, something nagged at Inu-yasha. It wasn't how weird this day turned out to be. It was the fact that he still had that feeling as if something was missing, as if something was out of place. He wasn't sure if it had anything to do with Kagome or if it was his prank 'feeling' coming back. Whatever it was, he didn't like it.

"So, do you want me to take you home?" Inu-yasha asked distractedly.

"Um, actually, I have somewhere to be soon. A sort of date with my friend," Kagome said.

"Are you meeting them somewhere?"

"We were going to meet at the mall."

"Alright, I'll take you there." Inu-yasha turned down a side road.

"Thanks."

They continued in silence. Inu-yasha couldn't stand it. He hated awkward silences more than almost anything.

"So are you going with Sango?"

"Hm?" Kagome looked at him. She wasn't paying attention. "Oh, um, no. I'm going with another friend. Her name is Yura."

"Really? I've never heard of her. Does she go to our school?"

"No, she lives in Virginia. We met a while ago."

Inu-yasha nodded then turned into a parking lot. "Where do you want me to drop you off?"

"Just out front is fine."

Inu-yasha pulled up in front of the large mall.

"Thank you," Kagome said shyly.

Suddenly, a foreign voice called out, "Hey, there you are!" A girl in a tight full-body jean outfit ran up to the car. He had short jet black hair. A red ribbon was tied neatly in the middle. Her ruby red lips stood out on her pale face.

Kagome jumped in surprise. When she saw who it was, she yelled out the open window, "Hey Yura!" Kagome unbuckled her seat belt and opened the door to meet her friend. Inu-yasha stared curiously. The two exchanged a friendly hug.

"Oh," Kagome exclaimed. "Yura, this is Inu-yasha. Inu-yasha, this is my friend Yura."

Inu-yasha smiled casually and said, "Hi."

Yura said, "Hi," also but as soon as she fully took him in, she blushed.

Kagome looked from him to her. Yura opened her mouth to say something but Kagome cut in. "Anyway, thanks again, Inu-yasha. I'll see you around." She leaned inside the car and kissed Inu-yasha on the cheek.

"Bye, Kagome," Inu-yasha called with a wave. She threw one last smile at him before walking inside the mall with Yura.

As soon as the two girls were inside and saw Inu-yasha's silver car speed off, Yura stopped in her tracks and said, "Kikyo, you have some serious explaining to do. Why did he call you 'Kagome'?"

"Kagome" smirked villainously and said, "You'll never believe what happened today, Yura."

**Alright! What'd you think of that? Kikyo, pretending to be Kagome! I suppose it was obvious since the beginning since I made her really mean to Inu-yasha. I had to though. If some guy you didn't know started feeling your forehead, what would you do? Yeah, so that's why she was being like that. By the way, if you didn't know, I really don't like Kikyo so she's going to be evil in this fanifiction. If you like her, then you probably won't like this story. Anyway, I hope you liked this twist in the story. The next chapter is going to be funny. Inu-yasha still doesn't know that it was really Kikyo so he and the real Kagome are going to have "words" in the next chapter. Also, Inu-yasha is going to get Sesshomaru back for what he did to him. And Inutaisho and Inu-yasha are going to come face to face... maybe. I don't know yet, I'm still working it out. Oh, and Inu-yasha is going to prank Miroku, just for fun. Anyway, if you have any suggestions as to what should happen next, I'm all ears. Some things I've already finalized but I might need some help with the little details. Speaking of little details, sorry that this chapter was kinda slow. I was just trying to finish the damn thing. I was trying to show that Kikyo really had no idea what she was doing and she wasn't sure how she was going to pretend to be Kagome when Inu-yasha kept bringing up things that Kagome did that she didn't... I'm not sure that makes any sense. Oh, and I was also trying to show that Inu-yasha was getting frustrated with Kikyo, that he didn't like her as much as he thought he would. But of course, no we know that he really doesn't like Kikyou, not Kagome... Anyway, I hope you stick around for the next chapter! Bye!**

**Hiko**

**P.S. There's something nagging at me. I think I forgot to change something and now it's going to bother me for forever. So if you notice something out of place, blame my short term memory lose.**


	10. Chapter 10: Deep Shit

**Hello everyone! Yes, I am alive and well. I'm sorry for not updating in so long. It's the end of the school year and finals and state tests and blah blah blah. Anyway, basically, it's been hell the last couple of weeks so it's been hard to try and keep up with this. Well, I guess you wanna read the damn thing already. Lol, please, enjoy!**

**Previously on "The Project":**

"_Bye, Kagome," Inu-yasha called with a wave. She threw one last smile at him before walking inside the mall with Yura._

_As soon as the two girls were inside and saw Inu-yasha's silver car speed off, Yura stopped in her tracks and said, "Kikyo, you have some serious explaining to do. Why did he call you 'Kagome'?"_

"_Kagome" smirked villainously and said, "You'll never believe what happened today, Yura."_

**Chapter 10**

**Deep Shit**

Inu-yasha sped away from Kagome with a fake smile in place. Today hadn't gone as he had hoped it would go. Kagome's first impression had mislead him. She was so different today. He began to fear his project would end up a failure. He'd never failed before, and he decided that it was the worst thing in the world. If he got this feeling of utter disappointment from _thinking_ that his project was going to fail, then how would he feel when he actually _did _fail? He didn't want to find out.

Kagome was totally off today. Inu-yasha thought that the moment he saw her in the pink and flowery outfit. She'd never go overboard like that. Even though Inu-yasha had only known her for three days, he'd come to find that even when she wanted to look nice, she didn't do too much. When he'd taken her to _Sukura_, she had chosen a simple outfit. It looked great on her but she probably did that unintentionally. She seemed to forget all of that today. Also, she was pleasent at _Sukura_ and Inu-yasha liked her attitide then. But today, all she did was complain and make rude remarks.

Inu-yasha sighed wearily and put his palm on his forehead. His headache had only gotten worse. And to top it all off, his pranking "feeling" came back. He should've figured since he got it whenever he had a rough day. A bad day was almost always cured with a good laugh.

Then Inu-yasha remembered the things he'd bought. He was so caught up in the idea that Kagome finally said yes that he completely forgot about Tami's food. He'd have to give her the food first and then he could deal with his "feeling."

Inu-yasha made a u-turn towards the store so he could pick up some new milk. The jug he'd bought earlier was spoiled by now from being in the hot car. He angrily paid for the milk, thinking the whole time that it was all Kagome's fault that he had to get a new one. If she didn't have him so spellbound, he would've remembered. But now he was just annoyed with her. Still, Inu-yasha didn't want to give up hope yet. He'd take a different approach tomorrow.

Inu-yasha pulled into his driveway and hurridly got out of his car. He didn't bother to park in the garage since he was going to be leaving in a few minutes. He wanted to get over to Miroku's house before school let out so he could leave him a few "presents." After grabbing the few bags and slamming the door closed, Inu-yasha made his way to the front door.

"Tami!" Inu-yasha called as he pushed the door open. There wasn't an answer. "Tami?" he called again. When he still didn't hear a response, he shrugged and went toward the kitchen. He didn't have time to talk anyway. Inu-yasha pushed open the big metallic door to see there wasn't anyone there. Maybe she was cleaning up the stairs. Inu-yasha put the bags down on the table.

Just when he was about to turn around to leave, the door slammed shut. Inu-yasha whipped around and came face to face with his father. Needless to say, he wasn't happy.

"Hi son," Inutaisho said in a monotone voice. He put on a fake smile. His hair was now its original color.

"Hi Dad," Inu-yasha said cheerfully. He pretended like nothing was wrong and reached for the door as if he were just going to continue on his merry way. His hand was stopped by Inutaisho's hard chest. Inu-yasha looked up into his father's ruthless eyes.

xXx

Inu-yasha's scream echoed off of every room in the house. He ran blindly with his arms flailing out in front of him and looking over his shoulder to see his father charging full speed ahead. He could hear his father's thundering feet chasing him. He ran all the way into the foyer without getting caught. He hesitated only a moment, trying to figure out if he should go out the front door to his car or into his room. It was a bad move on his part. Inutaisho dove straight into Inu-yasha. Inu-yasha went down so fast, he didn't even have time to say 'oh shit.'

The two wrestled on the ground for only a second before Inutaisho was on top with Inu-yasha's face planted in the floor and his arms pinned behind his back.

"Why'd you run?" Inutaisho growled angrily. "Do you have a guilty consience?"

"Ow!" Inu-yasha could only say. He eventually stopped struggling when he realized he wasn't getting out of this.

"Just tell me why," Inutaisho said in a calm voice.

"How do you expect me to answer you when you have me like this?" Inu-yasha yelled annoyed.

Inutaisho took a deep breath, trying to refrain from yelling Inu-yasha's ear off. "Just answer me and I'll let you go. Don't lie or you'll never see the outside of your room again." Perfectly calm, in fact, almost cheerfully.

Inu-yasha rolled his eyes. He wasn't going anywhere and there was no way Inutaisho would believe him if he said he didn't do it. "It wasn't me!" Inu-yasha yelled anyway.

Inu-yasha yelped when his dad squeezed his arms harder. "I told you not to lie!"

"But I'm not!" Inu-yasha replied. "It was Sesshomaru!"

"Sesshamaru?" he barked with complete doubt.

Inu-yasha grunted as he tried to get away again, but Inutaisho had a strong hold on him. He sighed impatiently and told his father the reason he'd come up with: Sesshmaru did it to get revenge.

Inutaisho kept him firmly in place. "Even if it was Sesshomaru, you knew you were grounded yet you didn't come home last night, which meant you were out doing something. When someone is grouded, they're forbidden to stay out late, you idiot!"

The noise of a door opening and closing resonated off the walls. Tami shuffled down the stairs with a cleaning rag in hand, coming from the master bedroom, humming a cheerful tune. She stopped in her tracks when she saw the two of them. "Wow," she said. "What's going on here?"

"Ah, that reminds me," Inutaisho said, ignoring Tami's question. "What took you so long to get home? Tami said you'd be back from the store in twenty minutes, at the most. I know it doesn't take three hours to go to and from the store."

Inu-yasha could guess by now that his dad had come home early (in hopes of catching him most likely). (He should've checked the garage.) Tami must've told him he had been there. It wasn't her fault though; after all, Inutaisho is the master of the house. "I was sidetracked," Inu-yasha said shortly.

"Probably by that girl you mentioned earlier," Tami said more to herself than to the two of them.

"Girl?" Inutaisho questioned, genuinly interested.

"Tami!" Inu-yasha moaned. Tami shrunk and tried to disappear. She'd said that louder than she should have. Inu-yasha didn't want Inutaisho to know about Kagome quite yet, especially since she wasn't really his girlfriend yet. Inu-yasha knew that his father was eager for his two sons to have girlfriends. The last time he had told his dad about a girl who was just a girl (not a girlfriend yet), Inutaisho assumed she was his girlfriend and went out of his way to prepare a nice dinner... in the White House... with the presedent... and his wife.

Inutaisho smiled down at Inu-yasha's face (which was still being smushed into the hardwood floor by his father). "So when do I get to meet the lucky girl? What's her name?"

"Her name is Kagome but you won't ever be meeting her," Inu-yasha growled. Suddenlly, Inu-yasha got an idea. Maybe Kagome could save him from his unearned punishment. "Well, on second thought," Inu-yasha started innocently, "you might be able to..."

Inutaisho's eyes brightened. "Really? When?"

Inu-yasha opened his mouth and then stopped. He couldn't make Kagome go anywhere, especially not to his house where his dad would exaggerate the whole thing. But if he didn't please Inutaisho, then he'd finish what he had started: grounding him for life, which he didn't deserve. Inu-yasha quickly decided which person's wrath he'd rather face, Kagome's or Inutaisho's. Well, seeing how Inutaisho was right in his face... (well actually, the floor was still in his face.) "I'm sure she'd be okay with tomorrow night." Inu-yasha had to make it close enough to make his dad happy.

Inutaisho nodded contently and stood up. "Tomorrow it is." He walked up the stairs towards his room while he talked to himself excitedly about wedding plans. Inu-yasha sighed. At least he'd forgotten the fact that he wasn't in school and he still had to punish him for staying out the night before.

Inu-yasha then glared at Tami. "I'm sorry!" she said. "I didn't mean to tell him you were here!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sure you didn't! I mean, I ONLY almost DIED just now!" Inu-yasha shouted sarcastically. He stomped out the front door to his car.

xXx

Ruby lips enclosed around a stick of pink gum. They chewed noisily and relentlessly. A large bubble formed and popped every now and then. They parted to reveal the discolored gum and said impatiently, "Okay, we're in the food court... Will you tell me now?"

"Patience," said purple lips that also chewed rudely on a wad of gum. "Wait until we have our food."

The ruby lips parted again as a pale finger twisted around the slimy gum. An impatient moan emitted from deep within. "But he's gone already!"

"But this story is long... You'll want to be sitting down."

"Jesus, Kikyo, just tell me!"

Kikyo popped her gum as she walked over to the McDonald's in the food court. "What do you want to eat, Yura?" she asked to change subject.

Yura rolled her eyes. "Just get me a salad."

Kikyo ordered two salads and they were soon handed to her. The two girls wandered to a nearby table and sat down.

Yura tapped her fingers impatiently on the cool surface of the table. "Okay... Now?"

Kikyo jut out her bottom lip in a pout. "You're too impatient." After putting her gum in a napkin, Kikyo opened her salad and poured a small portion of ranch salad dressing on it before taking a polite bite. Yura sat on the edge of her seat with a frustrated glare aimed in Kikyo's direction. After Kikyo swallowed her bite she said, "Okay, so I went to the store to get some things for out sleepover tonight. Out of no where, _he_ pushed me down. Then he tried to act like he did it on accident. But of course I know that he did it just to get my attention. But I must admit, no one had ever tried to get me that way before..." Kikyo paused to take a bite of her salad again. Yura was leaning in her chair, eager for more of the story. She still hadn't touched her salad. "Anyway, he kept bothering me and calling me 'Kagome' all the way to the cash register. Again, another strange way to get my attention, but he seemed so sincere, like he really didn't know I wasn't this 'Kagome' he kept going on about. I didn't know who he really was until I saw this magazine of him on the rack. After I realized, I told him I'd go out with him, seeing how you weren't supposed to pick me up just then." Yura had finally taken a bite of her salad but she remained leaned forward like a child eager for her bedtime story.

"Apparently," Kikyo said through a piece of lettuce, "he knew this 'Kagome' girl from school. He even knew where she lived. I, of course, couldn't let him take me home since he would take me to 'Kagome's' house. Anyway, he took me sight-seeing. I think 'Kagome' hasn't gotten out much. Oh, and get this, he's only a junior... in high school! I thought he was in college. He would've been a perfect match since I'm in my first year of college. I had to tell him I was a senior in high school though since he knew 'Kagome' from his high school."

Yura frowned. "A younger guy? You usually date older guys."

"I know!" Kikyo exasperated. "It also looked like he was in college since he had that gorgeous car... Anyway, he kept complaining when we went to the top of the memorial. Oh, and did you know there wasn't an elevator? Anyway, he kept telling me to ruin my perfect outfit by taking off the shoes!" Yura nodded understandingly. "I don't think 'Kagome' has any sense of style either since he thought it was weird that I wouldn't mess up my outfit." Yura nodded again as if this all made perfect sense. "Then he made me walk all the way around the lake to get to the Lincoln Memorial. Do you know how hard that is in heels?" Kikyo exclaimed. Yura dramatically gasped (with _no_ sarcasm). Kikyo's gaze sofened and she said, "But God, is he romantic. He knows just how to get a girl's head in the clouds..." she finished with a dreamy sigh.

"So..." Yura stared, "you just met this gorgeous rich guy and you didn't leave him your number? Or set up a second date? Or something!"

"I know!" Kikyo growled, snapped out of her daze. "I didn't think of that. Plus, I didn't know if he already had 'Kagome's' number."

Yura looked down at her half-eaten salad. "You have to see him again!" she said with a sudden burst of energy. "You can explain all that complicated stuff about you not really being 'Kagome' later. For now, just try to see him again."

"Not to worry," Kikyo said with a mischievious smile. "I'll think of a way."

xXx

The bell rang, signaling the start of lunch. Kagome boredly walked to the cafeteria. Sango chatted next to her but Kagome was distracted by the glimpse of Miroku out of the corner of her eye. She started to head his direction. "So... where's Inu-yasha?" she said, trying not to care.

"He's sick," Miroku said, surprised that she was interested.

She shrugged as if she was trying to prove him wrong and went back to chatting with Sango. As they got in line for lunch, Kagome sighed. Lunch was so boring without Inu-yasha. Even Sango didn't help her bordom. Inu-yasha added randomness that she'd grown accustom to. She didn't realize how much he'd mader his way into her heart until he was gone.

_What's he doing right now_, she wondered. _Is he thinking about me? Is he faking sick to get away from me? That has to be it! I've been so mean to him that he's given up on me!... _

Kagome furrowed her brow sadly at the thought. _Isn't that what I wanted? It's too dangerous for me to keep hanging out with him. That's why I wanted to get away from him in the first place. _She suddenly smiled. _But... I like having him around. He likes me enough to stick with me. He's been bugging me constantly for the past two days. It's not that long, but most of the guys I've come across give up after the first day when they realized I wasn't going to give in. Besides, he's so funny when he tries to hold back his anger when I say no. _Kagome let out a small giggle.

Then Kagome thought,_ Look at me... I'm already head over heels for this guy and I'm not even friends with him! This has never happened in these past two years. I don't want to lose him yet... but it would be safer if I don't let it get any further than it already has gone. _

She almost felt her heart fall into a million pieces. But then she nodded determinedly and thought, _It's settled then... I have to end it tomorrow, no matter what. I just hope I can get it through that thick skull of his. _She smiled at this last thought but stopped herself. It was that kind of stuff that made her fall for him in the first place, all the little things he did.

"Kagome... You're scaring me," Sango's uncertain voice broke her from her thoughts. "I never even knew there were that many faces you could make..."

Kagome playfully threw a fry at her friend, who giggled in response. "Shut up," Kagome said in a playful voice to hide her confusing thoughts. Sango turned back to her food, still chuckling. Kagome frowned once more as she thought about what she'd decided. She sighed and thought, _I suppose it's for the better._

xXx

Inu-yasha pulled into Miroku's driveway, still grumbling about the afternoon's happenings. He grabbed a few supplies and, using the spare key hidden in the draining pipe along the side of the house, went into Miroku's house . Inu-yasha sighed contently, happy that he'd put an end to his 'feeling' soon and set to work in Miroku's room.

The first thing he did was take out all the shoes from the closet. He mismatched them all into groups of two. Then he tied them into most impossilbe knots so that it would take ages to get it out and then returned them to their proper place in the closet. He looked around the room to decide what to do next.

Inu-yasha took out the chalk he had bought from the store. He grinned evilly as he took out a bright pink stick and began to draw random lines on the bare white walls of Miroku's bedroom. He drew evil smiley faces here and there and wrote 'Inu wuz here' in other spots. He used a neon green color to shadow the pink lines he'd made. Then he shadowed the green ones with a dark purple color. He then applied black in any spots he'd missed.

Inu-yasha went to the bathroom to fill some water balloons. He used all three bags he'd gotten. He put some under the pillows of the bed (that, miraculously, was made). He set up a trap with the closet so when it was opened, they would fall on the victim's head or at their feet. He put the rest aside to deal with when he was completely done. Inu-yasha happily pulled out one of the rolls of streamers. He'd bought three rolls of each of the three colors so he decided to use one roll of each color so he could use the rest for Sesshomaru. Using tape he'd found in Miroku's computer desk, Inu-yasha randomly taped bits and peices here and there until the place looked like a jungle of uneven lengths of thin paper.

He smiled in satisfaction as he stared at his work. He glanced at his watch and saw that he still had an hour and a half before Miroku would get home, leaving him plenty time to make a speedy getaway. The prankster remembered the water balloons he'd left and then spread them out evenly throughout the room so that not a single step could be taken without stepping on at least one. The rest, the boy skillfully put in a bucket he'd found under the bathroom sink. He set it up so that it too was a trap like the one in the closet. Inu-yasha slowly closed the door, grinning widely at the thought of Miroku's face when he opened the door to his hell of a room.

Inu-yasha wearily sat on the arm of the couch. He lazily fell back onto the couch with his legs hanging off the arm. He grinned. His 'feeling' was gone, and his headache was not as bad. He thought about checking his temperature again but instead he closed his eyes. Suddenly, he realized that Miroku's old scratchy couch was much more comfortable when he sat in it like this. But then again, it could just be that he was so tired that he didn't notice. He decided to sit a little longer and then he'd leave to go home before Miroku got back.

xXx

Inu-yasha sighed as he laid out on his bed. He'd dealt with himself and his 'feelings' for now but now he had to think about what he'd do about Kagome. He wasn't going to give up just yet. He still had his deal with Souta to worry about. Even if he did give up, it wouldn't stop Souta from telling Kagome his little secret. If that happened, she'd chase him down for the rest of his life... and it wouldn't be out of passionate love! He still didn't know how to get to her yet. He wanted to get a chance to talk to Sango still too. She should be able to help him at least a little.

The doorbell rang down the stairs and Inu-yasha looked over at his closed door, slightly curious as to who it was. Deciding he was too lazy to figure out, he went back to his train of thought. Inu-yasha hoped that Kagome wouldn't be mad at him the next day because of their date today. She seemed pretty steamed up because she had to walk so much.

Suddenly, Inu-yasha's closed door was shoved open, causing the door handle to crash into the wall behind. The noise alarmed Inu-yasha and he whipped his head around to the doorway. His mouth fell open.

"Kagome!" he exclaimed in utter surprise. She had on baggy off-white pants with many pockets in various places. Most of the pants were covered by Inu-yasha's red and white jacket. She looked just like the first night they'd been together. But his smile was wiped away when he realized something: she was crying! Tears streamed down her face as she gazed at the wide-eyed boy. Inu-yasha instinctively jumped from his bed and exclaimed, "Kagome, what's wrong?"

Instead of replying, she emitted a loud sob and ran straight into his arms. He didn't mind as her tears stained his shirt. He enclosed her in a tight embrace as she continued to sob. He rocked her softly to comfort her. But she kept going. He felt a sharp pain at the realization that he couldn't do anything to help her. All he could do was try and comfort her until she wanted to talk. He hated this feeling of utter helplessness.

Her tears were icy cold on his shirt. Suddenly, Kagome's tears became a waterfall of freezing water. Inu-yasha's eyes widened as the tears chilled him to the bone.

xXx

Inu-yasha shot up from his dream with a yell. His eyes were wide and he was soaking wet. He shivered hard against the cold. Suddenly he saw Miroku standing over him with the darkest angry look Inu-yasha had ever seen, a large empty bucket in hand. Water dripped from the egdes. Inu-yasha realized with regret that he had fallen asleep on Miroku's couch. Inu-yasha could tell from the bits of waterballoons in his hair and the strings of streamers plastered to his soaking wet clothes that he had been in his room already. How could he have been so stupid to fall asleep at the victim's house! And he should've known it was a dream. Kagome had been wearing his jacket, but he had taken that back the night of their date-that-wasn't. Plus, he had never left Miroku's house, which meant he couldn't have been in his home in his room.

"Did you have a nice day?" Miroku snarled.

"I was until you came here!" Inu-yasha barked.

"You got what was coming to you!" Miroku yelled. He put the bucket on the ground roughly and, to Inu-yasha's horror, picked up another bucket. Miroku ruthlessly threw the contents on Inu-yasha. Inu-yasha yelped in pain. This bucket had burning hot water in it. To top it off Miroku threw both buckets at him, on after the other. One hit Inu-yasha square in the head. The other crashed painfully into his knee. Inu-yasha was so busy trying to numb the pain that he didn't notice Miroku slam the door angrily with his car keys in hand.

Suddenly, Inu-yasha remembered that he needed Miroku's help to get Sesshomaru back. He couldn't do it alone: it was too big of a job to handle by himself. He knew that the whole thing that had just happened would be forgiven and forgotten by the next morning: It wasn't the first time Inu-yasha had pulled something like this. Miroku was used to it now. In fact, Inu-yasha was surprised that he didn't do anything else to him. But Inu-yasha wanted to do this tonight, not tomorrow. So, Inu-yasha had to gain Miroku's forgiveness quick or he wouldn't be able to do it. His poor pride was taking a real hit today. He wanted to get Miroku back for hitting him with those buckets, too. But that would make Miroku definetly say no. Inu-yasha groaned with pain as he tried to get up to catch up to Miroku before he took off again.

"Miroku! Wait!" he called when he opened the door. Miroku was just getting inside the car. Inu-yasha limped quickly to the driver's side. "Come on, you know it was just fun and games! I was bored! I didn't have anything to do," Inu-yasha pleaded.

Miroku looked straight forward with a glare in place but he didn't start the car yet.

"I have a project to do tonight and I can't do it without you." Miroku continued to glare although Inu-yasha did notice the small tweek in Miroku's eyebrow, a sure sign that he was interested. "I'm going to get Sesshomaru back. You'll love what I plan on doing..." Inu-yasha tempted. Miroku looked at him out of the corner of his raised eyebrow. "You can get me back for it." Inu-yasha struggled with the next part. "And... I won't... try to get you back. So we'll be even."

When Miroku sighed, Inu-yasha knew he'd won him over. He grinned mischieviously. "How 'bout it?" He had to get a verbal reply before he could leave.

Miroku sighed again and said, "Where do we meet?"

Inu-yasha grinned wider and said, "Reanu Park." The park Inu-yasha was talking about was the halfway mark between Miroku's and Inu-yasha's house exactly. It was about five minutes from Mica High School. It was a pleasent place with a clear small lake in the center. Children often went there to play on the playground. College students went there to study in the large clearing next to the lake. Families would bike ride around the lake or fly kites in the clearing. Couples would have a nice picnic on the benches under the shade of a few willow trees. It was Inu-yasha's favorite place: it had a little of everything.

"And don't worry," Inu-yasha said as he backed away towards his own car, "I'll bring the stuff."

"Wait!" Miroku said as Inu-yasha got into his car. "What are we doing?"

Inu-yasha rolled down his window and said stubbornly, "You have to wait and see." Then he hit reverse and sped around the corner.

xXx

Sesshomaru's loud alarm blared throughtout his room. It was Thursday... Only two more days left before the weekend and he couldn't wait. School was hell for him. It only drained seven hours out of his life.

Sesshomaru lazily sat up from the comfort of his bed. He went out to the hall closet to get a towel for a shower. He distractedly glanced at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. He was just about to start the water when he realized something was very wrong with what had stared back at him. He whipped back around to face the mirror and gasped.

His face... his beautiful, beautiful face... What happened to it! Sesshomaru gingerly touched his lips. He recognized the bright red lipstick his step-mother used everyday on his lips. Only the lipstick trailed off from his bottom lip and framed his face in a thick, crooked, round line. His eyes were brought out by bright purple eyeshadow he also recognized from his mother's make-up collection. The blush on his cheeks stood out so much, it looked like two tomatoes had been miraculously grown on his face. Mascara was carelessly and unskillfully put on his eyelashes. To finish it off, blue body glitter covered his whole face. Sesshomaru gaped at his reflection in pure disbelief. He knew the only one who could've pulled this off was down the hall, most likely laughing at him. He was just about to teach the little brat a lesson when he noticed yet another thing wrong with the person who stared back at him.

His hair... his silky silver hair... Sesshomaru couldn't believe it. His hair was in about a million tiny, messy braids. They started and ended with tiny pink ribbons made into perfect little bows. Just to tease him, the little twit had put extra bows in the middle. His hair was a mass of silver braids and pink ribbons.

This was it. Inu-yasha had taken it too far. Now he was in a world of pain.

"INU-YASHA!" Sesshomaru stormed. He stomped out of the bathroom in time to see Inu-yasha come calmly out of his bedroom. Sesshomaru didn't waste any time. He quickly ran the length of the hallway and was in Inu-yasha's face in a matter of miliseconds. Inu-yasha didn't bother to try and move out of the way. In fact, he looked like he was waiting for him. Just when he was about to pound the cocky bastard's face in, Inu-yasha held up a single piece of paper and smirked. Sesshomaru stopped dead, his fist and inch away from his brother's head. Sesshomaru's hand fell to his side as he gawked at the photo.

It was a picture of him, of course, and the hidious state of his face. Only, it was worse. Somehow, Inu-yasha made it look like Sesshomaru was putting the make-up on. He was holding up the eyeshadow stick (**sorry, don't know what it's called!)** to his eyelids and gingerly applying it. In the background was all the other make-up supplies. As a bonus, a bright red dress was hanging from his closet in plain sight.

"Touch me, I dare you. I have about a million of these in places you wouldn't dream of looking," Inu-yasha said with that same smirk in place. Sesshomaru didn't have to be told what Inu-yasha would do with them. _Hello Internet!_

Sesshomaru could only stare in bitter hatred as the prankster walked cheerfully down the stairs toward the smell of food.

xXx

Inu-yasha was as happy as can be as he drove to school. There even weren't any signs of his horrible headache from the day before. The war between his brother and himself was officially over, and he had the last laugh. He knew that Sesshomaru wouldn't dare do anything else back to him for revenge. He wouldn't risk it. So his brother and his father were taken care of... temporarily.

Now he had to worry about Kagome. He was on rough terrain with her. First of all, there was their date. It turned out horribly bad with all its ups and downs. And now he had to ask her if she would be so kind as to have dinner with him at his house... tonight! Otherwise, his dad would find out he was lying and that would make him worsen Inu-yasha's punishment even more. So far, he was off the hook, but that was only because Inutaisho thought that Inu-yasha was busy with a girl, which was semi-true. It was going to be hard to convince her, even if he told her his story and tried to get her sympathy.

He also had to worry about Miroku. He told him that he could get revenge on him and he wouldn't try to get him back. That only meant one thing: Miroku was going to get him back **_bad._** Plus, Inu-yasha had a feeling that Miroku hadn't even discovered the balloons in the closet or the balloons under his pillow. He probably only made it far enough into the room to realize that his room had been destroyed before he came to get Inu-yasha back. Miroku was going to come up with the worst prank in the world. And to make it worse, Inu-yasha couldn't even return the 'favor.'

In short, he was in deep shit.

**So, how was it? Was it worth the wait? I hope it was good, you all earned that much for having to wait so long! Anyway, sorry for switching points of views so much. I wanted to explain some stuff from the last chapter so that it would be easier to understand why 'Kagome' (Kikyo)did everthing she did. But I'm not really happy with the way that I did it... telling it through Kikyo like that. I tried to make it seem like she was still stuck up and everything too (sorry Kikyo fans!). I also don't think I like the way I made Inutaisho so... random. Oh well, maybe it adds character to the story and my style of writting. I hope this chapter was funny. I kinda struggled with it so it isn't as well discribed as others. I'm sorta happy with this chapter though since it gives me some things to talk about in the next chapter. Like, what's Kagome gonna say to Inu-yasha's dinner? And is Sesshomaru really gonna give up? And what does Miroku have in store for his friend? Lol, this next chapter's gonna be fun. I was gonna go on but I hadn't realized how much I had put in this chapter. Well, I hope you liked it, and please review and tell me what you think! **

**By the way, I'm too tired to check spelling and grammar or whatever so sorry for any mistakes! I also have a feeling that I'm gonna post this and forgot to change something big so it'll ruin my next chapter... I hope I'm not the only person who gets this feeling! Lol!**

**Hiko**


	11. Chapter 11: Boy Troubles

**Omg, I'm SSOO sorry I took so long to update! I went on vacation to Colorado for three weeks and then only a few days after that, I went to NY for two days. I didn't get to work on my story at all during that time. Besides, it was a vacation. I didn't feel like working... Lol, just kidding. But I have been back from NY for about six days now so I guess being on vacation still isn't a good excuse. Well, just so you know, it's 6:15 in the morning and I've been working on this chapter since about 11:00 p.m. My hand are sore, my head hurts, I'm dead tired, and I need to use the bathroom (Lol), but I'm glad I finished this for you guys. Well, I hope you enjoy Chapter 11!**

**Previously on "The Project":**

_Now he had to worry about Kagome. He was on rough terrain with her. First of all, there was their date. It turned out horribly bad with all its ups and downs. And now he had to ask her if she would be so kind as to have dinner with him at his house... tonight! Otherwise, his dad would find out he was lying and that would make him worsen Inu-yasha's punishment even more. So far, he was off the hook, but that was only because Inutaisho thought that Inu-yasha was busy with a girl, which was semi-true. It was going to be hard to convince her, even if he told her his story and tried to get her sympathy._

_He also had to worry about Miroku. He told him that he could get revenge on him and he wouldn't try to get him back. That only meant one thing: Miroku was going to get him back **bad.** Plus, Inu-yasha had a feeling that Miroku hadn't even discovered the balloons in the closet or the balloons under his pillow. He probably only made it far enough into the room to realize that his room had been destroyed before he came to get Inu-yasha back. Miroku was going to come up with the worst prank in the world. And to make it worse, Inu-yasha couldn't even return the 'favor.'_

_In short, he was in deep shit._

**Chapter 11**

**Boy Troubles**

Inu-yasha wearily pulled up to the school parking lot. Today was going to be hecktic. He had to talk to Kagome today and it might be hard with their date and all. He'd find something to get her in a better mood though. He had to if he ever planned on getting her to agree to go to his house for dinner.

The boy soon picked out Miroku from the groups of students busily talking to each other. Of course, it wasn't that hard to spot him when there were about ten girls walking away from him with disturbed looks on their faces, leaving him all alone with a desperate look on his face. Inu-yasha shook his head in amusement as he walked up to his best friend. "Still no luck?" he asked with a smirk.

"Shut up," Miroku said gloomily. He suddenly brightened and said, "I'll be fine by tomorrow though..." He was grinning from ear to ear with mischief blazing in his eyes.

Inu-yasha groaned. Miroku was definately going to get him back good. "Don't remind me," he growled.

Miroku looked at him teasingly. Then, as if it was possible, he grinned wider and said, "Guess who asked where you were yesterday..." Inu-yasha sideways glanced at him. He was too tired to play games.

"Who?" he asked with a sigh.

"Jeez, you'd think you'd be more happy since it _was_ Kagome who was inquiring." Miroku said it as if he was grouchy but he had to try hard to hid the smile that tugged at the corners of his lips.

"She what?" he asked, suddenly full of energy. Then he furrowed his brow in confusion. He was with her during school yesterday so how could she have possilbe asked Miroku where he was? And if she was with him, why would she wonder where he was? "What do you mean?" he asked more cautious now.

Miroku looked at him as if he were crazy. "What do you mean 'what do you mean!' Kagome was actually interested about your well-being. Don't you think you should be a little more happy?"

"But... that's not possible. I was with her yesterday..." He looked really confused (**poor guy, lol**).

"Inu-yasha," Miroku said carefully, "I think you should see a theropist... as if that could help." He laughed at his own joke but stopped when he realized that his friend still had that stupid bewildered look planted on his face. "You're serious?" he asked and finally actually considered the thought.

"Yeah," his friend answered matter-of-factly. "We went sight-seeing and everything."

Miroku scoffed and said, "She was here all day, I saw her. What, you think she has a twin or something?" He shook his head at the ridiculous idea but stopped when he saw Inu-yasha actually considering it. "You can't be serious!" he shouted exasperated. "Don't you think that you would've met her if she had a twin? Or at least seen her?"

"Well, yeah... but I could've sworn I was with her..." He trailed off as he remembered how he had thought she was acting weird the whole day, how different she was from what he first thought. Maybe Kagome really did have a twin. But surely she would've told him if she did... right? And he would've seen her since he went to her house...

Inu-yasha held his head in his hand. His headache was returning. All this was confusing him too much.

"Well, you can always ask her," Miroku said as if he was a genius. "In fact, that's her now, isn't it?" He pointed to a girl in jeans that had to be three sizes too big and a large navy blue sweater that looked like it belonged to her father. Her raven hair trailed after her figure as she walked into the school.

Inu-yasha knew that look all too well. With just a wave to his friend, the confused boy ran to catch up with her. She was just going around the corner when Inu-yasha got inside the two front doors. Everyone was outside socializing so the hallways were nearly empty. He had just jogged around the corner when he saw her slip into the library.

His eyes widened. He hadn't set foot in a library since he was... well actually, one would think he didn't even know what a book was. Reading just wasn't his hobby. Inu-yasha swallowed his pride and followed her into the realm of knowledge. Books and more books... it made him dizzy. He was just about to give up the chase when he saw Kagome hunched over about five books at a nearby table. She was furiously scribbling notes on an open notebook. There was still about twenty minutes before school started so she was studying to fill her time, he guessed. Inu-yasha had to admired her dedication briefly before making his way over to her.

_She's different from yesterday_, he thought instantly. _Yesterday, I had a bad feeling the whole day from her... Now I feel that same warm comforting sensation that attracted me to her in the first place. _(**Yeah right, like Inu-yasha would really think of something that poetic! Ha! Lol, sorry to make him so out-of-character here guys but I'm trying to show how he gets a different feeling when he's with Kagome versus Kikyo.**)

Inu-yasha was just about to say a friendly greeting when he saw another guy come up to her. The boy sat right next to her and she seemed to be expecting him. Inu-yasha disliked him instantly. He instinctively crouched behind a stray book cart. He seemed familiar to Inu-yasha for some reason... What was his name? Then it hit him: Kouga. How could he forget that smirk that always seemed to occupy his face and that brown hair that seemed to attract every girl in the school? Positively sick! (As if he could talk since his smirk and hair were what attracted girls to him.)

Kagome pushed a book toward Kouga and said, "Here. I found some really good books. You can start with this one." Kagome couldn't tell but Inu-yasha saw that Kouga was slightly disappointed and hesitated when she pushed the book in his face.

_Ah, the old 'let's go study together' trick, _Inu-yasha thought angrily. Inu-yasha had _invented_ that trick! It was the oldest one in the book! How dare this Kouga guy use _his_ trick! Inu-yasha would have liked to ring his neck right there on the spot. In fact, that's exactly what he was about to do... except something stopped him and made him crouch even more.

_Another_ boy came over and sat next to her. Inu-yasha was just about ready to explode with anger. As he tried to remember his name, he watched this new boy look astonishedly at Kouga. He returned the look. Then they both glared at each other and said in unison to Kagome, "We'll be right back."

The two met up on the other side of the table, almost punching distance from Inu-yasha. Once out of earshot of Kagome, they both whispered at the same time again, "What are you doing here?"

Kouga was the first to say something. "I got here first! I asked her and she accepted. She's my girl. Back off before I make you." Kouga glared at the other boy. Suddenly, his name came to mind: Hojo. He was in a couple of Inu-yasha's classes, as was Kouga.

"She invited me! She clearly wants me over you since she asked me instead of me asking her. You back off!" Hojo seemed like a kinder person than Kouga but he was glaring just as hard as Kouga.

Inu-yasha saw Kagome looking over at them like she knew what they were discussing. Inu-yasha started to piece together the puzzle. She most likely saw right through Kouga's 'let's go study' trick and so, invited someone else to come. That way, it would be strictly studying and nothing else. Inu-yasha knew right then that she wasn't an beginner at this kind of stuff. A beginner would've fallen right for that one.

What really bugged him was that she said yes to Kouga in the first place. She would never say yes to him if he had asked. What does she have against him?

Suddenly, Inu-yasha observed another person come up to Kagome and sit down. Inu-yasha's eyes widened in disbelief. He knew that person better than any other, unfortuatly.

Sesshomaru. Kagome looked surprised to see him.

Inu-yasha's face heated up in anger. If Kagome was surprised to see his half-brother come, then that meant he invited himself... Which meant this was how Sesshomaru was going to get him back, by taking the girl Inu-yasha wanted. He must've figured Inu-yasha liked her since he got angry with Sesshomaru for even talking to her.

Kouga and Hojo were still battling it out and didn't even notice the new arrival. "Fine! Let's ask what she thinks!" Kouga yelled/whispered. They both turned around to the sight of Sesshomaru talking seductively to Kagome. "Why don't we get out of here?" he tempted. Kouga, Hojo, and Inu-yasha's jaws dropped to the floor. Before Kagome could reply (or Inu-yasha could punch his brother to China), Kouga and Hojo marched right up to Sesshomaru and demanded to know what the hell he thought he was doing. Inu-yasha noticed Kagome was stuck in the middle of all this. She looked helpless in the chaos. The librarian was starting to notice how dramatically the noise level had changed.

Inu-yasha decided now would be a good time to save her. He hated to see her so defenseless, especially since he had always see her as a so defiant and free. He side-stepped around the three bickering boys and tugged on Kagome's arm. She looked at him in surprise. She opened her mouth to say something but put his finger to his lips to quiet her. He motioned with his head toward the library exit. Without a word, the two slipped past all three of them without being noticed. They got out the door just as the librarian confronted the three boys. Inu-yasha smirked as the woman gave each of the boys detention. Then he turned his attention to Kagome. His jaw dropped when he looked over and saw that she was marching down the hall away from him.

"Hey!" he yelled and ran to catch up with her. "You could at least say thank you!"

"I don't need you saving me!" she shouted back, keeping her pace.

"You're the one who got yourself stuck in that! I was just helping you!"

Kagome stopped her fast walk. "I don't need your help," she said through her teeth. "Just leave me alone!" She marched off again.

Inu-yasha felt anger spark through the course of his body. He ran to catch up with her and walked backwards as he talked to her. "You didn't have to let me help you. You could've just ignored me like you normally do." Before she could reply, he said, "Which reminds me, yesterday--"

_Ting!_

"OW!" Inu-yasha shouted. He rubbed the back of his head. It was throbbing. He'd run straight into a pole, the _hard metal _pole that seperates two doors in the hallway. Since he was walking backwards, he didn't know it was there. "Godammit! That fucking hurt!" Inu-yasha raved some more. "Stupid piece of shit!"

Kagome instantly burst into laughter but strained to stopped herself. She didn't want to laugh with him. She didn't want to have a good time with him. Well, it wasn't that she didn't _want_ to. She would've loved it. The fact was that she _couldn't_. That's why she had decided yesterday that she had to stop this relationship from going any further than it had. That's why she got mad at him for helping her. His trying to get closer to her and help only made it harder for her to resist him. That's why she had said yes to Kouga. Maybe if she had a boyfriend, he'd stop his pursuit.

But in spite of herself, she shuffled past him trying to hid a wide grin. Inu-yasha, with his hand still trying to calm the throbbing of his head, caught her smile anyway. "You saw that pole," he said darkly but teasingly.

"No I d-didn't," she stuttered, still trying to hold her laughter in. She tried to keep a steady pace toward her locker.

"Yes you did," Inu-yasha growled. "You just thought it would be so hilarious to see me bang my head on that damn thing. And it's only better that I'm only _just _getting over my fever from yesterday."

"Oh," Kagome exclaimed as if the pieces to a puzzle had fallen into place. "That's where you were. You really were sick. I thought you just didn't want to see me." Once she said the words, she instantly regretted them. Now he'd think she missed him. It would only make their relationship get closer to the line between 'give up' and 'there is a chance'.

Inu-yasha gave her a weird look. "So... you really were in school all day?"

Kagome stopped walking even though her locker was only a few yards away now and furrowed her brow at his odd question. "Yeah..." she said cautiously.

"Do... Do you have a twin?" Inu-yasha asked. He couldn't help but feel akward. It really was an unusual question to ask.

"No..." Kagome answered warily. She paused and thought for a moment then said, "But I do have a cousin that looked a lot like me. She's two year older than me though, I think. I'm not sure. I haven't seen her since I was in grade school and even then, it was only for a few minutes. She probably doesn't look like me anymore or even recall my name."

Now it all made sense. That was her identical cousin Inu-yasha had went out with yesterday, not her. It only made him wonder though since she had went along with him calling her 'Kagome'. Inu-yasha sighed a huge sigh of relief. He was glad Kagome really wasn't that snobby and rude.

"Why do you want to know?" Kagome asked suspiciously.

"Uhh..." Inu-yasha started. He couldn't tell her he'd gone out on a date with her cousin. It would make him seem like a cheater, even if it was a mistake. "It's nothing, I just thought I saw you at the store yesterday." He lied so easily, not that it was entirely a lie.

Kagome took one look at him and said, "Liar." She walked the few feet to her locker and began to open it.

Inu-yasha scoffed and said in his best lying voice, "I am not lying."

She glanced at him again from the combination dial. "Yes you are," she said and set back to work on the locker.

"What makes you think I'm lying?" Inu-yasha asked defensively. She couldn't see through his lies like Tami and Miroku could right?

Kagome stopped trying to open her locker all together and took a step closer to Inu-yasha so she was only inches from his face. She looked straight into his golden orbs. Inu-yasha tried to hid the blush that snuck onto his face. "It's your eyes that give you away," she said mysteriously with a smirk. Kagome stood there for a second longer and then looked away to work on the forgotten locker.

After Inu-yasha had gotten over the feeling of her closeness, he mumbled, "Feh." But the blush still hadn't left his face. As much as he loved being close to her, he wasn't expecting that.

Just then, the bell rang. Kagome had just finished gathering her things and closed her locker. She looked back at him with one last smirk before she was swallowed by the sea of students.

Inu-yasha noted the place of her locker before heading toward his. Out of no where, Kouga, Hojo, and Sesshomaru's face flashed through his mind and how they had all surrounded Kagome like vultures. He narrowed his eyes when he thought of them. How _dare_ they try to steal _his_ woman!

xXx

_Why the _hell_ did I do that_, Kagome asked herself furiously as she went to her homeroom class. _You're trying to get him to _stop_ chasing you. What you just did hinted that you wanted to get closer to him. Now he thinks he's got a chance. Brilliant, just genius! _

She really didn't know why she did that. Her heart seemed to have taken control of her body when seconds before, her head was in control. Her heart wanted to give in and say yes to Inu-yasha but her head told her it wasn't safe. It was a battle she recognized from two years ago when she had first met _him_. Her heart wanted to take a chance and see the 'wild side', as he had called it. But her head told her she would only end up in a bad situation and big trouble. Last time, she had followed her heart and her head ended up being right. In the case of Inu-yasha, she intended to follow her head, like she should have done two years before.

Kagome was so caught up in her thought that she bumped into two bodies as she went around the corner. "Oh, sorry," she said hastily and tried to continue.

"Wait," two familiar voices said and she turned around to see Kouga and Hojo. The two exchanged a glare before facing her again.

"You forgot this," Hojo said kindly, holding out her pen.

"And this," Kouga said with a flash-glare at Hojo, holding out her book. He knew which of the five was hers.

"Oh, thank you," Kagome said while taking the items. "To the both of you," she added when the two glared at each other as if to say 'she said thanks to me, not you'.

As she walked away, a certain angry silver-haired boy came up to them. "You two know she's already been claimed, right?" Inu-yasha growled.

Kouga and Hojo stared at him. "By who?" Hojo asked, annoyed.

"His name is Inu-yasha Taisho... That'd be _me_ boys! She's been mine since the first day of school. I catch either of you trying to take her on a date, and there will be hell to pay."

Both of them snorted. "Yeah right! What could you do to me?" Kouga said, thinking he was the king of the world.

"You have no idea," Inu-yasha said darkly. Suddenly, Inu-yasha remembered a certain little boy who was very possessive over a certain sister... He added a smirk to his dark scowl.

All three boys glared at one another, the hatred practically visible in sparks. Just then, the warning bell rang. They held their ground until, at the same time, all three turned heel, and walked away, already plotting against one another.

xXx

The whole day, the teachers had Inu-yasha busy. Since he had missed yesterday, he had missed the beginnings of their lessons and a lot of work. Distracted by school work, he hadn't even thought about his dinner that was supposed to be happening tonight until lunch time. But when he looked at Kagome's table, she wasn't there. Sango wasn't there either. He figured she was in hiding after her 'situation' that morning with all four boys.

She was in his next class though and he thought of asking her then but after the other day when the two had exchanged notes, Jizani-sensai moved their assigned seats so they sat on opposite ends. She also gave Inu-yasha all the work from the day before along with that day's work so he was pretty overwhelmed. Inu-yasha couldn't help but think that Kagome looked relieved. He was sidetracked by that thought the whole class.

When the bell rang, Kagome quickly left the room. Inu-yasha, who had tried to hurry and finish up the last question on his sheet, wasn't able to catch up with her. After taking the time to turn in his work to the teacher, he had given up trying ask her before gym. He and Miroku walked to gym together and Inu-yasha updated Miroku on his project.

"She's so difficult!" Inu-yasha growled. "I helped her and she got mad at me. On top of that, there's three boys who want to get to her before me! And get this, one of them's Sesshomaru!" Miroku laughed at the abserdity of the idea. "He's only doing it to get me back for what we did to him though."

"Don't you have like, a million pictures of him though?" Miroku asked.

"Yeah but I'm gonna warn him again first before I put it on the Internet. Don't forget, this is my brother. If he gets embarrassed, so does the family, especially since he's the heir to Taisho Cybernetics."

Miroku nodded in understanding. "You don't think he'll do the same to you, do you? I mean, take a picture of you doing something stupid."

Inu-yasha looked unconcerned. "Nah, he wouldn't. First of all, you never catch be dead putting make-up on my face. And second of all, he's all about pride. If he used my idea and did that to me, it would mean he had to copy from me to get an idea. I'd laugh at him for life because he isn't creative enough to think of his own ideas." Miroku considered it and thought it made sense.

By then, the two had reached the gym. Inu-yasha instantly picked out Kagome. He was just about to walk over to her when Kouga came out of no where and started smiling and talking like she was his. Inu-yasha didn't remember seeing him in the last gym class, but then, he had no reason to look for him. Now he did.

The anger radiated off Inu-yasha's body. He would've liked to leave him tied up in front of an oncoming semi-truck. With his fists ready, Inu-yasha was about to pound Kouga's face in but Miroku, without thinking, grabbed a fistful of Inu-yasha's hair and pulled him to the other side of the gym.

"Dammit Miroku, do you have death wish?" Inu-yasha shouted.

"You're not going to get suspended and leave me here alone when it's only the first week of school," Miroku said firmly. Inu-yasha glared a few feet away.

When George came out of his office, he told the class they were doing a volleyball game today. He wanted to see what everyone knew about the game already and what they didn't. Inu-yasha grinned evilly at Kouga when George brought out the balls.

George seperated the class into four groups. Inu-yasha, Kouga, and Kagome were miraculously all put on the same team. They were going against Miroku and a few other girls. (Mirkou was in heaven.) George blew the whistle and the teams started the game. Inu-yasha was first to serve the ball. He looked at the back of Kouga's head. He grinned maliciously as he served the ball with a powerful blow.

_Bong!_

"Inu-yasha, you bastard!" Kouga yelled with a hand on the back of his head, trying to sooth the pain. Some of the players were giggling. George, having witnessed the whole thing, blew his whistle and went between the two before they had a chance to throw punches.

"Enough you two. Inu-yasha..." George said expectantly.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Inu-yasha said alarmed. "I really didn't mean to. I haven't played this game in a while so my aim is kinda off." Kagome shook her head wearily. She could see through that lie easily.

"Why you... You really think I'm gonna believe that?" Kouga shouted. Apparently, so could Kouga.

"Calm down," George said firmly. Kouga 'humphed' and went back to his place. George looked warningly at Inu-yasha again and said, "Make sure you aim over the net this time."

"Will do," Inu-yasha said seriously. As George went back to the side lines, Inu-yasha thought, _Yeah right!_

After a few moments, Inu-yasha still hadn't served the ball. He busied himself by tying each of his shoes and making sure his clothes didn't have any stains on them. George even blew the whistle to signal they could continue. But still, Inu-yasha continued to pat his hair down and dust his shirt off. Finally Kouga turned around and said, "Would you hurry up and--"

_Thump!_

Kouga's face twisted in agony and he crumpled to the floor. Several players were laughing full force now, Inu-yasha along with them. Even Kagome was snickering behind her hand. As soon as Kouga had turned around, Inu-yasha aimed carefully for his crouch and, well, it went from there.

"You... _asshole!_" Kouga breathed as he stood up shakily.

George blew his whislte again. As he went toward Inu-yasha he had to try to hid the smile that threaten to take over his face. He decided to pull Inu-yasha out this time and make him sit on the wall. It'd be better if the two weren't so close to each other. The two made faces at each other, Inu-yasha because he had gotten Kouga good twice in a row and Kouga because Inu-yasha had to sit on the wall while Kouga got closer to Kagome.

The bell rang just as the winner was declared. (Inu-yasha's won by fifteen. The girls on the other team refused to jump in front of Miroku so half of the team didn't even make an effort.) The teacher appoligized for making everyone late. They still had to go in the locker rooms and get undressed so everyone was about five minutes late getting out of the door. Inu-yasha tried to hurry to catch Kagome but a girl who came out of the girls' locker room said she'd already left.

Remembering that Kagome walked home, Inu-yasha quickened his pace with new energy. He could still catch her. He couldn't believe he'd waited until school was over to ask her about dinner. He'd forgotten about asking her last class because of the ordeal with Kouga.

With a hastly good-bye to Miroku after he'd been to his locker, he hurried out the front door. Inu-yasha considered using his car. He remembered that last time he'd offered a ride, she declined so he'd have to park again if he planned on talking to her. After deciding it would be easier if he just left the car here, he ran to catch up with her. He went toward the sidewalk he had seen her walking on the second day of school. It wasn't far and soon, he could spot her figure on the other end of the block. He jogged halfway and then ran the rest. He was eager to ask her. No matter what, he had to get her to say yes. If not, not only would he have his brother and best friend on his back but he'd also have his father to deal with. That was a deadly combination.

As he began to approach Kagome's back he walked. He didn't want to scare her by running up on her. She seemed deep in thought. When he got close enough, he said, "You know, I think you're avoiding me."

Kagome shrieked and nearly jumped out of her skin. When she saw who it was, she glared. She put her hand on her chest as if it could slow the beating of her heart. "Jesus, you scared the shit out of me." She decided to point out the obvious.

Inu-yasha smiled smuggly. "Call it payback for letting me smack my head into that pole."

"Why do you insist on following me?" she asked in annoyance. She began to walk again but she seemed to be in now real hurry to get away from Inu-yasha.

"I'll insist on following forever you until you say you'll go out with me," Inu-yasha answered truthfully with a grin. A light blush appeared on Kagome's cheeks.

"Well now, I guess that means you'll be following me forever," Kagome answered.

"You're so pessimistic," Inu-yasha said with teasing disappointment.

"Oh no, look out! Inu-yasha's using big words now!" Kagome laughed.

"Hey, that's not fair!" Inu-yasha said with mock hurt. The two laughed together.

The battle between Kagome's heart and head raged on stronger than ever now. At the moment, her heart was in control again. Kagome decided she liked it better that way.

"So did you like gym today?" Inu-yasha asked, hoping it would bring back memories of the funny faces Kouga made.

Kagome lauged again. "You know he's gonna get you back for that right?"

"Oh yeah, I know that. But when he tries, I'll be ready with something better," Inu-yasha said in a smug tone.

Kagome chuckled again. "All that smugness is gonna land you in big trouble one day."

"It already has," Inu-yasha said with amusement. He was trying to get her laughing and smiling before he tried to ask her for dinner. He was still trying to get the right words anyway.

It was quiet for a moment. Then Kagome said, "Um... about this morning... Thank you. I was just mad about something. I really wanted to say thank you then but I was... distracted."

"What were you mad about? Did those guys do something to you? I'll beat the hell out of them if they did." Inu-yasha jumped to all the wrong conclusions.

Kagome chuckled briefly before replying. "No, it's not that. It's nothing really, not even important." She waved it off easily.

Inu-yasha looked at her and then said, "You're lying."

"What? I am not." _Yes you are,_ she told herself. Her head started to get a grip over her body again. She didn't want him to know why she had been so mean to him earlier. If she told him it was because she didn't want to get close to him, she have to explain and she wasn't ready to do that yet. In truth, Inu-yasha really was important to her. She didn't want to loose him. Even though she knew she could never have him the way the both of them wanted, she wanted him close by. For some reason, he made her worries go away. There was just one worry he couldn't get rid: _Him._ It was what stopped her from getting closer to him.

"You are too," Inu-yasha said, taking her back to reality.

For a moment she forgot what they were talking about. "Am not," she said when she remembered.

Inu-yasha chuckled at her late response. "You are so lying. You know how I know?" Suddenly, Inu-yasha grabbed her hand and twirled her around so she was facing him. He pulled her closer with his stong arms and looked down into her eyes. "It's your eyes that give you away," he whispered, his hot breathe sending chills down her spine. His hair smelled like vanilla and he had on a cologne that she'd remember forever.

His eyes bored into hers. She felt as if he could look into her heart through her eyes and see all the pain she went through and all the scars it had left. She had to look away.

_Too late,_ Inu-yasha thought. He had been miliseconds from kissing her. To get her to feel better and not so flustered, he decided to make a joke of it. "Payback's a bitch, ain't it?" Inu-yasha said with a smirk.

"Not fair," Kagome said through her blush. "You used my words."

"I know. But it's true. You're eyes really do give you away."

"They give you away too," she said in an attempt to switch the attention back to him. She had only just remembered she was walking home and started walking again. Besides, maybe it would help hide the blush that was still dancing on her face. He had no idea how hard this was for her. If she had looked into those gorgeous eyes any longer, she would've kissed him herself. If that had happened, it would signal the official beginning of their boyfriend/girlfriend status. She couldn't let that happen though, unfortunately.

They were only a block from her house now. Inu-yasha had to ask soon or it would be too late. "Hey, do you feel like coming over to my house tonight? Just a little get-together with family and friends." He thought that maybe it would be easier to convince her if she knew it wouldn't really be a date. He'd have to presuade his father to allow her family to come and a couple other friends so it could be considered a small party instead of a personal dinner meant for her.

She was quiet for a while. She waited until they were at the bottom of the steps leading to her house before she answered. "I really don't need to be going to parties," she said. _Especially with my situation,_ she added to herself.

Inu-yasha looked really disappointed.

Kagome opened her mouth and closed it. She didn't like to see him like that, looking so sad and beaten. "But if it's just a small party and nothing big, I might be able to."

Inu-yasha looked estactic. "Really?"

"I said I might be able to," she warned.

"Oh, it doesn't matter, as long as there's a chance. Thank you! Really, it's going to be great! I'm gonna make sure it is! Remember, it's tonight at my house around seven." The words tumbled out in his happiness. He really didn't know what time it was but he wanted to give her a time so it seemed like it was already final (even though it had only been planned since the day before). "Thank you," Inu-yasha said again. In his excitement, he kissed Kagome on the cheek and hugged her. Either he didn't notice, or he didn't comment on the deep red blush that instantly appeared on Kagome's cheeks.

Inu-yasha was already walking away. He didn't want her to change her mind so it was best to get away before she could. "Remember, seven, my house, bring your family!" And he ran away.

Kagome touched her hand to her cheek where Inu-yasha kissed her. His vanilla and cologne smell still lingered without his presense. She smiled. She didn't think that saying yes really was that big of a deal but she was glad to see him happy.

xXx

Inu-yasha ran until he was around the corner and Kagome's house was out of sight. He stopped only then and breathed a huge sigh of relief. _She said yes,_ he thought. _That means there's a chance. There's a chance she'll have me and I can rightfully call her my woman. It's possible._ He was so happy when she had said yes, he'd kissed her. He wondered if he went a little too far. He only did what he felt was right at the time. But now that he thought about it, he wondered if she'd say no now because he'd gone too far. _At least it wasn't on the lips_, he thought.

As he walked back to the school parking lot, he thought smugly that she couldn't cancel now since she didn't have his phone number. Now his problem was solved with his father since she had agreed. If everything went as planned, his dad would be distracted enough to forget about any punishment he had in mind. And with the use of blackmail, Sesshomaru wasn't an issue. Since Kagome would be bringing her family, Inu-yasha would have a chance to talk to Souta about getting Kouga and Hojo out of the picture. Everything was going perfect. There was nothing that could make Inu-yasha mad now.

But of course there was... and Inu-yasha saw it the second he reached the school parking lot.

His car... Someone had dared to touch his beautiful silver Spyder Eclipse. Tissue paper... everywhere! His entire car was covered in it to the point that he couldn't even see the silver anymore. Even the tires were covered! When Inu-yasha reached his precious car, he could see that the entire inside was _covered_ in tiny confetti pieces. When Inu-yasha found the door handle under the tissue paper and yanked it open, some of the tiny pieces of paper tumbled out. Some unidentified stench emitted from the car the second Inu-yasha opened the door.

Inu-yasha felt like crying. When he'd thought nothing could make him mad, he'd forgotten about Miroku's revenge.

**Well, what did you guys think? Was it funny enough? Does it even make sense? Jeez, I'm so tired, I don't even know if I spelled the words right. Lol! **

**Okay, so I'm faced with a problem. I like my story but I don't like the characters I used. Don't get me wrong, I love Inu-yasha and the gang as much as the next fan (maybe more) but I don't think my story is for Inu-yasha. I mean, Inu-yasha is SO out-of-character in my story. So is just about everyone else but Inu-yasha seems to be the worse. It makes me feel like some people aren't enjoying it because the characters aren't themselves. It's bugging me and I'm not sure what to do... **

**Anyway, please review and tell me what you think of the chapter. I hope it was okay, especially since I spent seven hours trying to finish it. Lol! Well, see ya next chapter. (It won't take so long to update next time, I promise!) Oh, and there's probably a million mistakes in this chapter but I'm so tired I can't pick out so sorry!**

**Hikoboshi**


	12. Chapter 12: Biggest Regret

**Ha! I finally finished it! Last time I stayed up until 6 something, this time I didn't sleep at all, lol. I'm tired as hell! Lol, it's ok though. Usually, if I start to write and I get something good going, I don't like to stop. I'm so stubborn I won't even go to sleep, lol. I'm happy though that I finally finished this damn thing. Sorry for the long wait guys. Enjoy Chapter 12!**

**xXx**

**Previously on "The Project":**

_His car... Someone had dared to touch his beautiful silver Spyder Eclipse. Tissue paper... everywhere! His entire car was covered in it to the point that he couldn't even see the silver anymore. Even the tires were covered! When Inu-yasha reached his precious car, he could see that the entire inside was covered in tiny confetti pieces. When Inu-yasha found the door handle under the tissue paper and yanked it open, some of the tiny pieces of paper tumbled out. Some unidentified stench emitted from the car the second Inu-yasha opened the door._

_Inu-yasha felt like crying. When he'd thought nothing could make him mad, he'd forgotten about Miroku's revenge._

**Chapter 12**

**Biggest Regret**

"Dammit!" Inu-yasha shouted to no one in particular. The parking lot was completely deserted. The tissue paper and confetti pieces were the same ones Inu-yasha had bought to get Sesshomaru back with. But only now did he remember telling Miroku that the tissue paper and confetti was too much for one night. They had already killed Sesshomaru's hair. Miroku must have claimed the extra supplies to get him back with. Strange how Inu-yasha didn't remember that...

Only because he was in a hurry to get ready for the small party that night did Inu-yasha even dare to step into his now destroyed car. When he sat down, he felt his behind instantly become wet in some unidentified liquid that had soaked into his car seat. After shouting a string of curses, he started the car and went on his way. He hadn't even made it out of the parking lot when the car began to slow down until it came to a complete stop. Inu-yasha looked at his gas gauge to see that it was well past the 'E'.

"FUCK!" he shouted as he flew the car door open and slammed it shut. The little bastard had even emptied his gas tank! He remembered it had registered at a half tank that morning. Now he had to walk home, after he had came all the way back to the school parking lot. Inu-yasha shouted a whole new dictionary of curse words as he made his way home.

xXx

The furious silver-haired boy slammed the front door open when he reached his house. He didn't even bother to close it, he just went straight to his room. He didn't feel like dealing with anyone now.

Inu-yasha had just gotten that car at the beginning of the summer. He knew he'd just have to get the car cleaned up. He couldn't demand a new car from his father since it was his friend who had pulled the vile prank. If it had been Sesshomaru, he could ask but since it was Miroku, his dad would just say, 'your friend, your issue.'

He had gone too far. Miroku knew better than anyone that the one thing that was off-limits was his car, especially his Spyder Eclipse. When he'd gotten it, he bragged about it for the first month straight. Now it was ruined, with that stench in it. It'd take at least two weeks to get that smell out of his car, whatever it was. And he knew it would be next to impossible to get all the tiny confetti pieces out. Now he regretted more than ever when he said he wouldn't get him back for whatever prank Miroku would do. If Inu-yasha had his way, Miroku would already be tied up in the middle of some railroad tracks.

Inu-yasha slammed his bedroom door the moment he reached it. He'd have to call the tow service to retrieve the car. Only the phone book was out in the hallway so he looked for the number on the Internet. He didn't want to even leave his room and see civilization.

After he told them where they could find the car and what was wrong with it, he hung up. He needed to do something to keep him distracted. After looking at the clock and seeing that it was already four o'clock, he decided he should take a shower and get dressed into some more decent clothes. Needless to say, the whole time he was in the steaming shower, he was thinking of ways to get Miroku back without him knowing it was him. Yeah, so he did promise not to but he would have to make an exception.

He could put Miroku's car in the junk yard to get compacted... No, that wouldn't work. He'd have to buy him a new car since Miroku most likely couldn't afford another.

He could permanently die Miroku's hair lime green... No, that wouldn't work either. Knowing the girls at school, it would only increase their love for him. Next thing Inu-yasha would know, people would come to school with their hair green, just like they had when Inu-yasha and Sesshomaru had come to MHS with their silver hair which had become the new fashion around the school.

He could put a laxative in Miroku's drink... Nah, too basic; not enough to get back for what he had done to his car. Not _nearly_ enough.

A few moments later, Inu-yasha got out of the shower. He still hadn't come up with a solution. He wrapped his towel around his lower body and was just stepping out of the bathroom when the phone rang. He raked his nails through his tangle-free silver hair and caught a few water droplets as he went to his room and picked up the phone.

It turned out to be the towing company. They only wanted to inform him that his car had been successfully retrieved and would be taken to the shop to be worked on. Inu-yasha thanked them and insured them they would be well paid for their services.

Whoever had trashed his car either had it all very well planned out, was an expert, or both. Inu-yasha thought more than ever now it was Miroku who had destoryed his car. Miroku was the only one Inu-yasha knew who could pull this kind of thing off.

Inu-yasha picked up the phone again to call the little bastard but decided against it. It would only give Miroku the satisfaction that he wanted. He'd act like nothing was wrong and wait for Miroku to ask about it. Then he'd let him have it. It took all his self-control but he put the phone back down. Only then did he realize that he still wasn't dressed. The whole issue had made him forget that he was still virtually naked (he still had the towel on though). With one last frustrated sigh, he when to work trying to find the right clothes.

The boy was just about to walk to his closet when his phone rang again. He growled at it but picked it up anyway.

"What?" He was in no mood to be polite.

"Inu-yasha? Is that you? You sound like you've had a bad hair day!" a familiar voice told him.

"Kagome?" Inu-yasha exclaimed. "Oh, sorry 'bout that. I've just had a rough day." Suddenly something registered in Inu-yasha's mind. Why was she calling him? "Oh no, you're not calling to cancel on the party are you?" His voice got panicky. "You're still coming over tonight right?"

"Hmm...?" Kagome questioned. "Oh, that! Of course I am! Why wouldn't I?" Kagome said cheerfully.

Inu-yasha blushed a little when he thought of the kiss he'd planted on her cheek before he left. "N-No reason," he sputtered out. Then he furrowed his brow suspiciously. "How did you get my phone number?" he asked warily.

"Your number is in every phone book across the country! So is your address!" Kagome laughed.

"Oh." Inu-yasha blushed again when he remembered that his father had made sure of that so his two sons would always be reachable, particularly by the ladies. "So why are you calling then?" Inu-yasha asked when he couldn't think of any valid reason.

"Oh, I was wondering if I could invite some friends over too... Is that okay?" Kagome asked hopefully.

"Oh yeah, sure, that's fine," Inu-yasha said relieved. He was afraid she was going to cancel after all.

"Okay, so what time is it again?"

Inu-yasha told her and somewhat rushed her off the phone so she wouldn't change her mind about coming. He took a deep breathe of relief. That was close. The boy continued to survey his closet, looking for the right clothes. He still hadn't taken his towel off, as he still wasn't dressed yet. Since it was more of a party atmosphere, Inu-yasha choose loose-fitting faded blue jeans and a simple white button up shirt. He had just slipped on the jeans when he heard a 'whish' by his bedroom door. Curious, he went to his door as he tightened his belt. Just as he was about to poke his head around the corner, he father stood in the doorway.

"Dad!" Inu-yasha said in surprise. "What are you doing home?"

"I came home early to get ready for our guest tonight," Inutaisho replied. He looked like he was distracted, as if he was looking for something. "By the way, have you seen--"

"Oh," Inu-yasha interrupted him warily, "about that guest..." His dad gave him a suspicious look. "She said she would feel too uncomfortable if only she came. I told her she could invite her family and a few friends. So... is it okay if this is more like a little get-together than a dinner party for one?"

Inutaisho looked at Inu-yasha with a thoughtful expression. "Alright," he smiled, "that's even better! I get to met the family already!" He walked away to make the new arrangements. Before he was out of earshot, he heard him shout, "Hey Tami! Call all the family friends and tell them to come over to met my future daughter-in-law!"

Inu-yasha sighed wearily. His dad was going to be the death of him and any progress he'd made with Kagome. Tonight was going to be interesting.

xXx

Kagome hung the phone up after she'd called Inu-yasha. She sat on her bed for a little while longer before she picked up the phone and dialed a number.

"Hello?" a female's voice filled her ear.

"Hey Yura," 'Kagome' said in a smug voice.

"Kikyo! Well, did you do it? How did it go?" Yura asked anxiously.

"Better than we'd hoped!" Kikyo exclaimed as she flopped on her bed. "Not only did I find out that he is having a party tonight, but I also found out that 'Kagome' is invited. Oh, and 'Kagome' is inviting some of her friends so... think you want to come?" Kikyo tempted. "He has a brother..."

"Count me in!" Yura squealed. Then she paused and thought about it. "But wait, the real Kagome's still going to come. What happens when he sees the both of you? You'll have to tell him you were lying the other day."

"Yes, I thought of that," Kikyo said somewhat annoyed. "I might have to tell him... or I might not. As long as he doesn't see us together, what's the problem?"

Yura scoffed. "Hello! This Kagome doesn't have any style remember? You're guaranteed to show up in something _way_ better than her."

"Hmm... true," Kikyo said with a smug chuckle. "I guess that won't work. Oh well, I was bound to tell him eventually so why not now?"

"Alright Kikyo, but I have a feeling he'll be mad you impersonated her," Yura said with a hint of doubt.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Kikyo said with obvious impatience. "Well just see when we get there." She was just about to hang up when she added flirtatiously, "Oh, and Yura... invite a few boys." The two girls giggled with delight before they hung up.

xXx

After Inu-yasha had called Miroku on his cell phone to invite him to the party (he said absolutely nothing that would hit at his knowing of Mirkou's prank and Miroku did just the same), he jogged down the stairs in search for Tami. He wanted to busy himself before he went crazy. If he stayed still, he'd only think about all he had to be mad about.

"Tami!" he hollered.

"Don't yell at me boy!" Tami said as she walked around the corner. She didn't even look at him, just hurriedly went to the door.

Inu-yasha jumped slightly at her sudden appearance. "Do you need any help?" he asked although he could guarantee she would.

"Yes, I do! Your father wants me to decorate the house, buy party supplies, bake a cake, prepare dinner, call all the family friends and find your brother all at the same time." Tami stopped her fast pace to count off the list on her fingers.

"Sesshomaru isn't here to help?"

"No," Tami growled. "I haven't seen him all day and right when we need him, he isn't here. I can't believe your father actually thinks this last minute party is going to work. We don't have that much help."

Inu-yasha looked a little guilty for making it into a party and making it harder on her. "I can go buy the food and decorations," he volunteered. He couldn't help but remember the last time he went to the store. He met Kikyo there although he'd thought it was Kagome. He suddenly felt ashamed for having ever mistaken her for the real thing.

"Would you?" Tami said gratefully. When Inu-yasha nodded, she grabbed a piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to him. "Here's what we need. I'll leave you to it," she said cheerfully before she hurried to the kitchen.

Inu-yasha glanced at the note and groaned. A whole page full. _I better be getting paid for this shit,_ he thought.

xXx

"Inu-yasha dear, would you hold this up for me?" Izayoi asked. She was on her tip toes, trying to tap a piece of decorative tissue paper to the wall. They were decorating the foyer.

"Sure," he said, jumping away from his task of taping balloons to the banister to help her. Once he'd taped it for her, he went back to blowing up balloons. He didn't understand why they were going through all this trouble to make the place look real nice when there were only a few people coming over. It would only be a few close family friends, Kagome's family and the residents at the house. Why was he taking the time to tape all this crap up? He didn't dare ask his dad though. Inutaisho was busy making sure the food and decorations would be done on time. He was running around helping here and there. He was stressed about this and that, so even if Inu-yasha did manage to catch up with him, he'd be too busy to talk to him.

Just then, Inutaisho glided through the foyer where they were working. "Oh," he said when he saw the two, "have either of you seen Sesshomaru?"

"No," they answered in unison.

Inutaisho growled and mumbled under his breathe, "I swear I'm gonna ring that boy's neck when I see him. The party's going to start in only one hour and he still isn't here. What could he possibly be doing?"

Inu-yasha didn't care. If his brother wasn't there, it meant nothing could go wrong. Sesshomaru was always messing it up for him. And the fact that this party would be centered on Inu-yasha and his girlfriend (at least that's what Inutaisho thinks) didn't help the matter. Inu-yasha's half-brother was probably trying to find Kagome now to tell her not to come. That's something he'd expect from his brother, always trying to make his life more miserable than it already is.

The only good thing that would come out of Sesshomaru coming home was that Inu-yasha could threaten him with his blackmail picture again. He had to warn him to stay away from Kagome. He remembered how the bastard had tried to take Kagome from him in the library that day. If he tried something like that again, Inu-yasha would have no choice but to show the picture to the world.

Inutaisho went to the kitchen to check up on the food, leaving his son and wife to finish up in the foyer. Izayoi glanced at her son warily. He had just blew up a balloon too much so it popped in his face. He growled frustrated and snatched another from the bag on the stairs. She felt sorry for him. Her husband could really over do something to the point where it annoyed not only his sons but his wife also. She just hoped that the girl Kagome wouldn't be frightened away by her husbands antics.

xXx

Tami skillfully added three eggs into the bowl with a practiced hand. She had a million things running through her mind. This idea was crazy, to have a party on such short notice. It would've been fine if it were only Kagome but now she had to fix food for more people. Although crazy, the whole situation filled Tami with energy. She was excited to see how the night turned out. Being a maid though, she'd most likely spend most of her time in the kitchen cooking while the party guest got to be social. She didn't mind though. She was more comfortable with the familiarity of the Taisho family than the family friends anyway.

Just then, her cell phone vibrated in her pocket. She emitted a frustrated sigh. She was too busy to get cell phone calls. Tami put her bowl on the counter and reached for a paper towel. She had batter and flour all over her.

"Hello?" she answered her phone when her hands were clean. She put the phone in between her shoulder and head so she could still use her hands to mix the batter.

"Tami? This is Mirkou."

"Mirkou?" she questioned. She put the batter down and put the cell in her hand again. "What are you calling my cell phone for? Is the house phone down?" Great, one more issue to add the the million she already had. Miroku calling her baffled her however. He had only called her once or twice before when Inu-yasha and he were fighting. But then again, Inu-yasha did seem to be very angry lately...

"Oh no, the house phone is fine. I just have a favor to ask..." Miroku said.

Tami sighed. She never liked to turn down people in need but she had so many things on her to-do list she'd be busy for days. "What is it," she asked anyway.

"Can you come pick me up for the party?"

Tami furrowed her brow even though Miroku couldn't see her. "What's wrong with your car? And why come to me? Why not Inu-yasha?"

"Well, you see... Somebody trashed my car and I can't use it. No gas in it or anything, won't budge. And I recognize some of the materials used to mess up my car as Inu-yasha's so I have reason to believe he did it. So can you come pick me up? I'd rather Inu-yasha not know that I'm having car issues..." Miroku didn't want to give Inu-yasha the satisfaction if it really was him. Tami guessed it was a matter of pride.

Tami thought about Miroku's words. It was very likely that Inu-yasha didn't have a thing to do with Miroku's car... although he had been out for some time to go to the store. Tami sighed. "I really don't have time to be dealing with this..." she started. She could pratically see the disappointment Miroku was feeling. "... But I suppose I can come over when I put this cake in the oven."

Miroku smiled and said, "Thank you so much! Oh, and the party doesn't start for an hour so don't worry about coming over right now."

"Sure baby," she smiled. She liked to see people happy. After a friendly good bye, Tami hung up and set back to work.

So, Inu-yasha pranked Miroku's car... It wasn't any of her business but she didn't believe he would do that. She knew from her latest talk with him that he had pranked Miroku already so why would he do it again? She hadn't talked to him all day though with the exception of when she had given him the grocery list. She had been too busy with preparations. Perhaps something had happened today though...

xXx

Inu-yasha sighed. He had just finished with his decorations. He was happy his father had only wanted the foyer decorated. It would've taken a year to do the whole house. The problem now was that there was still twenty minutes before the party guests were due to arrive and he had nothing to do.

Inu-yasha wandered the house in search of something to busy himself with. His eye caught Tami rushing from the kitchen to his general direction.

"Hey Tami, where are you off to?" he asked when he saw her pick up her keys from the dining room end table.

"Uhh," she stuttered. "I-I forgot to write a few things on your list. I'm off to get them from the store." She couldn't betray Miroku and tell him her real purpose. He had said he didn't want Inu-yasha to know about his car troubles.

Inu-yasha shruged. No doubt she was lying but if she didn't want to tell him something, it was most likely for a good reason. He waved as she made her way to the door. Just then he smelled a delightful aroma coming from the kitchen. He wandered in that direction and pushed the metal door open. Two butlers tried to manage the sizzling hamburgers and chicken along with the buscuits and desserts in the oven. Inu-yasha picked some cookie dough out of a near empty bowl as he dodged a butler holding a large pan.

Deciding the smell of food could destract him, he helped the two men in the kitchen until Tami returned some time later.

"Inu-yasha!" she exclaimed when she rushed into the kitchen. "What are you doing in here? The guests are already here and coming!" Inu-yasha realized with a jolt that a full half hour had passed since he'd been in the kitchen. He thanked Tami for the information and left the delicious aroma of the kitchen.

_Oh no,_ Inu-yasha thought the moment he saw the living room. There were people he'd never seen drinking the party punch and eating the appetizers laid out on the table. Some couples danced the the slow music that was now playing. He could only spot a few people that were actually invited here and there, hidden by the teenagers though.

_This was not supposed to happen_, Inu-yasha thought. _This was supposed to be a quiet little party not the party down the block_. He had told Kagome that she didn't have to worry about the party being big but now that would be a lie. It was hardly past seven and there were already well past thirty people in the house. How the hell did so many find out about their get-together?

The answer was soon in plain sight as soon as Inu-yasha got the the foyer. His dad was talking excitedly to Kagome. People were still ringing the doorbell and coming in after a maid opened the door.

Once glance at Kagome told him all he need to know. She was wearing a tight leather black mini skirt with a pink shirt that just barely passed as appropriate. It was sleeveless but had a string that tied around the neck to hold it up. She wore two inch thick black high heels.

"So you're Kagome, the one Inu-yasha's been telling me about," Inu-yasha overheard his father say to the girl.

"Oh yes, I just adore your son. He's just so funny and nice to me." She giggled like an elementary girl.

Inu-yasha knew for sure by then. He had been suspicious from the moment he saw her. Inu-yasha cleared his thoat, smoothed his shirt, and strode over to the two. He put a big smile on his face and said to his father, "Hi Dad. I see you have met Kikyo, Kagome's cousin. I actually only just met her a couple days ago. She looks so much like Kagome. When she gets here, you've just got to see the resemblance." He watched Kikyo look at him, completely mortified. His father's face transformed from cheerful to suspicious in an instant.

"Her cousin, you said?" Inutaisho asked with a twitching raised eye brow.

"Yeah, her cousin. I had thought it was Kagome when I first saw her. I swear, they could be twins," Inu-yasha chuckled inoccently. He was still smiling like no tomorrow. Kikyo seemed to melt under Inutaisho's stare.

After a moment of akwardness, Kikyo stammered, "I-Inu-yasha, c-could I talk to you for a m-moment?"

"Sure," Inu-yasha said a tad too cheerfully as she dragged him to the stairs where there was less activity.

"Why the hell did you do that?" she exploded in a whisper once the reached the end of the stairs.

"What do you mean? I was only introducing you." Inu-yasha used a completely inocent tone.

"How do you know I'm her cousin? I didn't even know that," Kikyo said, ignoring his excuse.

"The _real_ Kagome told me," Inu-yasha said, accenting 'real' only to make her mad. "She said you probaby wouldn't remember because it was a long time ago."

"You're damn right I don't remember! You should have warned me ahead of time you'd do something like that?"

"Why, so you can try to impress my dad?" he accused. "I bet he doesn't think too highly of you now that he knows you were lying to him about being Kagome. You should have just told the truth from the beginning. Now he most likely doesn't even want you at the party." Suddenly, Inu-yasha looked at her angrily. "Which reminds me," he growled, "where did all these people come from?" He already knew the answer but asked anyway.

"Aahh..." Kikyo stalled. "I... It wasn't me."

"Yeah right. Now it all makes sense. That wasn't the real Kagome I talked to on the phone. It was you. You asked if you could invite a few friends. Now thanks to you this small get-together is now a raging pary!"

Kikyo was taken aback by his tone but got in his face like he did to her. "What's wrong with that? I only made it better than it already was."

"You made it worse the moment you walked through the door," Inu-yasha snarled. Kikyo was stunned at his harshness and didn't reply. After a moment, Inu-yasha sighed. No matter who it was, worst enemy or best friend, he hated to see a women's feelings hurt. "Look, to be honest, you had no business pretending to be Kagome, at the store or just now. I don't know why you did it but you're better off being yourself."

Kikyo refused to make eye contact and Inu-yasha took it as permission to leave. He was just about to help greet the guests when she caught his arm. She looked into his golden orbs and said with a puppy dog eyes, "I'm sorry. Will you let me make it up to you?"

He held her gaze a moment until something caught his eye. Across the room was Kagome, looking straight at him and Kikyo with wide eyes...

xXx

Kagome nerviously got out of the car along with her mom, brother, and grandfather. Her mom guided Grandpa to the front door as Souta followed. Kagome fiddled with her outfit, making sure there weren't any stains or anything. Why was she so nervous? It was only Inu-yasha's family and she wasn't even going out with him anyway. Of course she knew that his family might think they were and for Inu-yasha's sake, she'd go along with it.

She wore a casual yet flirty skirt that reached her lower thighs. It flared a little on the ends and was blue with green designs. She picked a normal blue v-shaped shirt to go with it. She wondered if it would be alright for the event.

The small family reached the door and knocked politly. A maid with short brown hair welcomed them as they walked into the brightly lit foyer. A couple people dotted the empty room and music was heard in another room. The maid who had greeted them offered to take their jackets and they accepted. Kagome wandered into the living room where there were many more people. The number of them made her somewhat uneasy. As she tried to push the feeling away, she picked up a cracker from the nearby table and nibbled on it. After wondering for some time, she began to get wary. She didn't know a single person here. All she wanted was to see a familiar face.

And there it was. Mirkou had just come in with another woman. She looked old enough to be his mother although she doubted she was. She had on an apron and was most likely a chef. They split up at the door, Miroku headed up the stairs and the woman began to walk in her direction. Kagome took the opportunity to ask where the bathroom was. The lady seemed very nice as she pointed the direction. Kagome thanked her and left.

When Kagome left the restroom, she noticed there were many more people than before. She was highly uncomfortable and decided to find a queiter place. Remembering the stairs she had seen in the foyer, she went that way. Kagome froze as soon as she went around the corner and her eyes widened in surprise.

There was Inu-yasha with someone who looked somewhat familiar. They seemed to be seconds from kissing. For some reason, Kagome felt betrayed to see him with her. After all he had done to get close to her and now he dropped her for the next big thing. Whoever she was, looked a lot sexier than her in her skimpy mini skirt. She angrily thought, _Well, I hope he's happy with his new toy... They'll probably be up in a room in a few minutes making out. _

Kagome lightly bit her lower lip and turned back into the room behind her just as she heard Inu-yasha call her name. Around that time, the tears began to fall. How dare he chase her after he had been so close to another girl! He couldn't expect her to sit and wait around the house for to meet the other girl so she could laugh at her tear-stained face. No, she was leaving that place as soon as she could.

She had no clue where she was going but she just wanted to get out to that house. The tears stung her face when she found a sliding glass door. It was pitch black outside but Kagome stepped into the bitter fall cold anyway. She could just barely make out the ends of the deck she was on and the stairs leading to ground level. She immediately went in that general direction. Her tears didn't help her vision at all and she fumbled for the railing to insure a safe decend. By then, she heard the sliding door open again.

"Kagome?" Inu-yasha's voice called into the darkness.

Kagome hoped he didn't see her as she slipped around the side of the house. She cautiously made her way to the car. She only found it because it's white paint job stood out in the dark night. Since she had driven, she pulled out the keys and opened the driver's side door.She sat there for a moment attempting to hold back her tears before taking out her cell phone to call her mom and tell her they were going to be leaving sooner than planned.

xXx

Inu-yasha stared blankly at the stars. He was sitting on a bench on his deck. He didn't know how long he was there but then again, he didn't really care. Kikyo had looked for him after he took off, he knew. He could hear her voice asking various people where he was but he didn't bother to reveal himself. Kikyo would only worsen his mood.

He hadn't moved from that spot for some time after the shadow had crept around the house. No doubt it was Kagome but he didn't want to risk seeing that face again. The image of Kagome's shocked betrayed face flashed in his mind multiple times as he sat there. That face told him that she really did have feelings for him, otherwise she wouldn't have cared or runned out. Now that he knew he actually had a chance, he felt guilty beyond belief. He could only imagine what he and Kikyo must have looked like in Kagome's eyes. It was his fault. He shouldn't have lingered on Kikyo's gaze. He should've pushed her away but he didn't. It was a huge regret that he was sure to remember for life.

In truth, he was comparing the two girls. He saw then that the two looked nothing alike. Kagome had those soft brown eyes that held so much myschief. Kikyo had cold ruthless black stones for eyes. Kagome's face was soft featured and always looked inoccent. Kikyo seemed to wear a smirk that said 'I'm better than you' all the time. And Kagome's lips... ah, her lips. Hers seemed soft as rose petals while Kikyo's were ready to yell at someone for some reason or another.

But still, it shouldn't have taken him that long to see the differance in the two. He should have never mistaken Kikyo for Kagome in the first place. They were nothing alike and any person could see that.

So now what was he going to do? Kagome was probably so mad at him, she wouldn't want to even look at him. And his father didn't even get to meet her. The guest of honor wasn't at the party and that was sure to make Inutaisho upset.

But of course, only Kagome mattered to Inu-yasha. If he could make it up to her, he wouldn't mind being grounded for years.

The party continued inside but he would never know if the people were satisfied. He didn't want to see anybody right now and so he stayed on the bench, looking lost and alone.

Some time later, the sliding door opened. Inu-yasha hardly took notice. He was still staring at the same star he had been for the last thirty minutes.

"You know, you're bringing down the house with that gloomy attitude of yours," his friend said softly.

Inu-yasha sighed and looked at Miroku with lost eyes. He forgot all about his car and Miroku's revenge.

"I saw it all from the top of the stairs," he said refering to Kagome running away after seeing the two. "Figured I'd give you some time to cool off but you still haven't come back inside." Miroku looked at Inu-yasha and asked worridly, "Are you going to be alright?"

Inu-yasha sighed again and said, "I'm not sure yet."

Miroku leaned against the bench and said after a moment, "You should be. You got me good again today." He said it with playful angriness.

Inu-yasha furrowed his brow. "What are you talking about?"

"Remember? My car? You were smart to get me again. You couldn't have gotten be back after I did my prank because you promised not to... so you did it before. Really smart," Miroku said with a rueful chuckle.

Inu-yasha sat up. "Wait a minute, something happened to your car too? And if you didn't get me back yet, then who pranked my car?"

The sat in silence as they tried to think who could've done it.

"Oh my god," Inu-yasha said suddenly. "Is he really that stupid?"

"Who?" Miroku asked. He was lost.

"Sesshomaru," Inu-yasha answered. "He hasn't been home at all. He must have gotten me when I went to follow Kagome and he got you when you were in your house."

Miroku looked thoughtful and then said, "Now that I think about it, after I got back from school, I only came back to the car to come here for the party... That's when I saw the tissue paper and stuff."

"He must've had friends with him to be able to do it so fast. He must've hoped we would think we did each other's cars." Miroku nodded in agreement. "I don't see why he would do that if he knew we had blackmail pictures though," Inu-yasha added in bafflement.

"Maybe he hoped to find something for blackmail for you."

"Even if he did, it would be a stalemate from there," Inu-yasha said. Suddenly, he stood up. "Come on, we have to go find him. Maybe he's here by now." Miroku followed his friend back inside. He was relieved that Inu-yasha was distracted from his depression but it was sure to come back.

Knowing his brother would most likely want to be away from all the festivities, Inu-yasha first checked Sesshomaru's room. Sure enough, there he was playing some game on his computer.

"Hey," Inu-yasha said the minute he saw him. "What the fuck do you think you're doing pranking my car?"

"Yeah, and mine," Miroku chimed in.

Sesshomaru slowly turned in his chair after he took the time to pause his game. He smirked maliciously and sneered, "So you figured it out? At little sooner than I had thought but it doesn't matter."

"Dammit Sesshomaru," Inu-yasha yelled, "that was my new car!"

"I know. It only makes it that much more funnier." Sesshomaru was chuckling now, mostly just to mock his half-brother.

"Did you forget about that wonderful picture of you in make-up?" Inu-yasha questioned.

"Of course not," Sesshomaru replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"So you don't mind if it's on the internet by the next couple of minutes, right?" Inu-yasha taunted.

Sesshomaru smirked. "Well, you might want to think about that before you act on it. This evening didn't turn out to be a total waste. I talked to someone who happenes to know a certain secret about you."

"And what's that?" Inu-yasha growled when nothing came to mind.

"Oh, just about a little prank you want to go unoticed by a certain girl from school. Something involving a house and a lot of tiolet paper..." Sesshomaru watched Inu-yasha's face go ashen. Miroku's eyes got big and he was suddenly feeling really sorry for his friend.

"Souta," Inu-yasha whispered.

"Ah yes, that was his name. The little boy who is Kagome's brother, right? Such a sweet boy, don't you think?" Sesshomaru was toying with him and was really enjoying the faces Inu-yasha made.

Inu-yasha growled before turning away, grumbling, "That boy is SO dead!" He marched down the stairs only to remember that Kagome and her family had most likely left already.

Thinking of her made him enter his depression again and he told Miroku he'd see him at school the next day. When questioned, Inu-yasha just told him he wasn't feeling well. Miroku nodded in understandment and went to mingle with the guests.

Inu-yasha wearily closed and locked his door. He didn't bother to say goodnight to anyone. Tonight was the worst day of his life. Not only did he have Kagome to worry about but he also had his dad and his brother to think about. He was scared Sesshomaru would tell Kagome his secret although right now he was sure she couldn't hate him any more than she already did. His dad was sure to be disappointed and angry he didn't even get to see the real Kagome or her family.

Then there was Kagome. She'd be mad that the party was larger than he had said it would be. His depression was increased when he realized that it didn't take him long to ruin everything. Four days... had to be a new record for him. They had gotten pretty close for only four days. But now on the relationship scale, he was at negative fifty. How was he ever going to get her back? How was he going to convince her that it really wasn't what it had looked like with Kikyo and himself? How could he gain Kagome's trust again?

**xXx**

**And that's Chapter 12! Didja like it? I hope so. I don't like it, I can always find a million things wrong with my chapters and a million things I want to do differently. I feel like I rushed it at the end... But seeing how this is only my first fanfiction, I'm not going to stress on making it perfect. Not this time around anyway, lol. **

**Okay, so just so everybody knows, there's probably only one or two chapters left of this fanfiction. I know, it's so sad. I love writing and hearing from my readers. But the story has to end eventually. I actually already started another... Lol. **

**I have no idea how to end this though. I don't want to make it too dramatic but I think I might have to. I'm really good at dramatic stuff but drama really doesn't fit this story since it's mostly humor. Ah well, I'll figure out something soon. **

**So what to look for in the upcoming chapters! You'll finally find out what Kagome's deal is. And finding out who Kagome's last boyfriend was doesn't really matter. What matters is what he did to her. Keep that in mind when you read the next chapters. I might add some more of Souta, Kouga, and Hojo. I dunno, tell me what you think. **

**See ya in the next chapter. And once again (like I say in most of my chapters) I'm too tired to check spelling, grammar, whatever... Just bear with me, lol.**

**Hiko18**

**P.S. If any of you have any questions about the story thus far, feel free to ask in your review. I have no problem either replying or posting the answer in the next chapter. Usually, if it's an important question that I want everyone to know I'll post it in the next chapter. **


	13. Chapter 13: Honesty

**Okay! You guys ready for Chapter 13? I'm so happy that it didn't take me a month to update. Only eight days this time! My plan is to finish before school starts... Anyway, enjoy! **

**Previously on 'The Project':**

_Then there was Kagome. She'd be mad that the party was larger than he had said it would be. His depression was increased when he realized that it didn't take him long to ruin everything. Four days... had to be a new record for him. They had gotten pretty close for only four days. But now on the relationship scale, he was at negative fifty. How was he ever going to get her back? How was he going to convince her that it really wasn't what it had looked like with Kikyo and himself? How could he gain Kagome's trust again?_

**Chapter 13**

**Honesty**

Kagome tossed for the tenth time in her bed. After only a few minutes she rolled over again. She glanced at the clock on her bedside table. The red digital numbers shone 2:09 on the dot. She groaned.

Once she had gotten back from the party she had locked herself in her room and refused to come out. Her mom had offered to make her something to eat since they hadn't stayed long enough to eat much at Inu-yasha's house. She refused it. None of her family memebers dared to ask why they had left so soon. They all figured it had to be something terrible for her not to even come out of her room. Kagome's mother usually allowed a day for her to calm down before she tried to ask what had happened.

After it was ten and Kagome still wasn't asleep, she had taken another shower and tried to sleep again. She had been there ever since.

All the girl could think about was that foul image she'd seen right before she took off. That girl... she was familiar but Kagome couldn't figure out who it was. She had been to far to see really. However, she hadn't been looking at her anyway. Her gaze had been focused on the boy she was with.

Inu-yasha... how dare he? Kagome associated that name with nothing but anger and betrayal. Even after what she had witnessed, his sexy looks and smug attitude that she loved was still there and so she couldn't really _hate_ him. But she got pretty close to it. She was angry with herself as well. She had allowed her self to fall for his persitance and funny personality only to have the picture of him with another girl shoved in her face. She hated that he had dared to chase her so hard only to turn his back on her. Was he bored? Was she boring? Or did he lack the will power to keep going?

What was more was she was more scared than ever about her past. Inu-yasha had lied and said the party would be small. It wasn't and now she feared that she had become 'noticed'. If that was the case, would she have to move again?

No, she could do that to her family again. Not a second time. Once had been hard enough. Trying to find a house that they all liked, a decent school for the two kids to go to, and a nice neighborhood were not easy tasks. She didn't want to put her mother through the stress of that again.

Last time she had decided to end it with Inu-yasha before it got further she hadn't kept true to her word. He had managed to get her to say yes to his invite. Now she had no reason to want to be even near him. Yes she was mad at him, very mad at him. But she also feared that he would find his way into her heart again if he was able to talk to her again. Because of tonight, she had a perfect excuse to get away from him. Before it was only her past and she didn't want to tell him that. Now it was this and he already knew about it.

In truth, she could get over the issue tonight after some time. After all, they weren't even going out. She had just been hurt to see him dump her for someone else so easily and quickly.

Kagome looked at her clock again. '2:30' it said. She groaned again and turned away from it so she was facing the wall. This time tomorrow, it was over for good. With that thought in her mind, Kagome finally fell asleep.

xXx

Kagome was so tired when she woke up. She was practically a zombie as she walked out of her room to get something to eat to hopefully wake her up. Her brother took the liberty of pointing out her zombie look as soon as she reached the kitchen. He was already eating some corn flakes, having had more sleep than her and woken up faster. Kagome waved him off sleepily and yawned widely as she poured some Captain Crunch into a bowl.

After breakfast and a shower, Kagome felt better. But by then, she had remembered that night before. She sulked around the house. When she remembered her thoughts from last night, she called Sango.

"Sango? Wake up," she said when she heard a groggy 'hello'.

"Kagome? I don't think I ordered a wake-up call." came the cranky reply.

Kagome chuckled briefly before getting serious. "Sango come on. I need you to pick me up this morning."

"Why?" she asked. Sango was out of bed by now, realizing she was a bit late.

"I don't want to walk to or from school anymore."

Sango chuckled lightly and said matter-of-factly, "Kagome, there's a lot of things we don't _want _to do but we don't have a choice."

"No, I mean I can't walk. I might run into Inu-yasha."

"I thought you said you didn't care if he talked to you anymore." Sango's voice wavered as she tried to put some clothes on. She wouldn't have time for shower, especially if she had to pick up her friend.

"Remember that party I told you I was going to? You know, at Inu-yasha's house?" She waited for Sango to confirm. "Yeah, well, we didn't quite get along last night. Besides, we both know that I don't need to be near him anyway." She decided not to tell her what had happened. Her friend would only scold her for caring about him so much. It wasn't that Sango didn't like him, it was just that she always made sure her friend was careful since Kagome was sometimes careless about her choice of friends. They knew Inu-yasha was off-limits so if Sango found out Kagome cared, Sango would go into over-protective mode.

"Well, alright, we can start riding to and from school now." Sango had finished dressing and was now headed to eat breakfast. Her mother had prepared pancakes that morning as a treat. "But what are you going to do about your classes? Don't you have few classes with him?"

"I guess I'll have to transfer out of them." Kagome was quiet for a while before she said, "Do you think I'm over doing it?"

Sango thanked her mother for the plate of freshly made pancakes and then told her friend, "Well, it's the perfect way to get him away from you. It's safest that way but... what do you want?"

Kagome was quiet for moment. She brushed the question off by saying, "It doesn't matter what I want though. I have to keep it safe. Isn't that what you've always told me?"

"Yeah," Sango said softly. She knew that it really wasn't what Kagome wanted but she was worried about her friends safety and so didn't press the matter. "Okay, so I'll be over in a few minutes, alright?"

"Yeah. Thanks Sango," she said warmly with a smile before she hung up.

Once the girls pulled into the parking lot, Kagome went straight to the main office. They had gotten there early so Kagome wouldn't have the issue of seeing Inu-yasha there like she did the day before. True to her word, Kagome transfered out of all the classes she had with him. She managed to convince her counsiler that the classes were too easy for her. She said she had already taken gym the year before so she should have health instead. It was all true but really unecessary. She didn't need to get out of the classes. One more year of gym wouldn't have killed her and the easy classes just meant easy credits. But she had to do it.

Her counsiler handed her her new schedule for the year and told her the teachers would expect to see her in their classes starting today. She thanked the woman and left. Kagome hid in the library until the bell rang.

The rest of the day she spent avoiding Inu-yasha. It wasn't too hard though because they only crossed paths once or twice. She had managed to see him before he had seen her so she took a different route to her class. During lunch she hid out in the library with Sango. By the end of the day, she thought she was paranoid. Every time she saw silver hair, she heart skipped a beat. And every time someone called her name, she feared it was Inu-yasha.

In order to aviod running into Inu-yasha on the way outside of the building after school, she and Sango volunteered to help one of the teachers grade some papers. It was Friday and the woman had wanted to get out soon. So the two girls helped her so she'd have an easy weekend. In the woman's eyes, it was an act of kindness. In their eyes, it was an excuse.

Once they were done, the climbed into Sango's dark blue car. Kagome waved as Sango sped off toward her own house which was only two or three blocks away. Kagome was smiling as she said good bye but as soon as the car was out of sight she dropped the happy look. It was a mask, put in place to avoid people's comments like 'are you okay?' and 'you look so sad!'. She didn't want to deal with it.

Today had been successful. Maybe after so many days of this he'd give up his chase, if he hadn't already. What bugged Kagome was the thought of being paranoid about him all the time at school. Would she have to vear off every time she saw his face in the halls? Would she have to aviod him like this for the rest of the school year that had only just started? Not only did she have to steer clear of Inu-yasha but she also had to do the same with Miroku and Sesshomaru. She wasn't sure if Sesshomaru cared but she knew for certain that Miroku would tell his best friend if he had seen her.

Kagome heaved a huge sigh and decided to walk up the stairs to the front door now. Her head down, she thought about how hard the rest of school was going to be if she was to do this routine every day. Luckily it was Friday so she had two days to rest from this hecktic week and prepare for the next.

When Kagome reached the stairs she jumped in surprise at what sat on the door step before her. It was a basket with a large bow on top. A card was tangled in the pink bow. Inside were red, white, and pink velvety rose petals. There was a small stuffed animal bear inside whose bottom portion was covered with the petals. On either side of him were two small boquets of flowers.

Kagome smiled instantly at the romantic and sweet gesture. She took the card from out of the bow and read it.

_"Kagome,_

_I'm so sorry for what happened at the party. _

_Please call me and we can talk about it._

_Inu-yasha_

_P.S. I didn't see you in school today. I hope_

_you aren't sick. If you are, I hope you feel better soon."_

He drew a sloppy smiley face at the end and on the bottom was his phone number. Kagome smiled widely and picked the basket up, careful not to spill the rose petals. She opened the door and went straight to her room, hoping not to be detected by her brother. He'd only mock her and say 'who is _that _from?'. She closed her door once she reached her bedroom. She set her school stuff down and took the bear out of the basket delicately. His brown fur could have been envied by all of her other stuffed animals. It was so soft! She took out the small bouquets and got some water for them from the bathroom. She set them on her desk so they were on either side of her computer monitor.

Kagome didn't know what to think. It was a really sweet gesture. She giggled because she knew he would've had to have help with that idea. Suddenly, she scowled. She was supposed to be angry at him. Even if he had done that, it didn't make up for last night.

Still, Kagome couldn't help smiling when she put the bear on her pillow and the basket under her window so the breeze would help to circulate the smell.

Kagome looked at the card with his number on it. 'Call me' it said. _Not a chance,_ she thought although she decided to put the card in her desk drawer.

Kagome sat at her desk and glanced at the bear. She sighed. She hated being so confused about what to do. But at least it was the weekend. She wouldn't have to worry about him for two days until the next school day.

xXx

Inu-yasha didn't like taking Miroku's advice and leaving Kagome the basket. But Miroku seemed to know all the romantic details of a relationship so he went to him. He had ran to the store right after school to get everything. It only took him a moment to pick all the rose petals from the flowers he had gotten. Miroku had told him not to expect Kagome to call him but Inu-yasha was still disappointed when it was well past ten o'clock and she still hadn't called. He ended up calling Miroku for support.

"What am I going to do?" Inu-yasha complained. "What am I going to do if she never calls me or talks to me again?"

"I'm sure you'll talk to her eventually," Miroku reassured him. "Come on, could we talk about something else? Like how we're gonna get your brother back?" It wasn't that Miroku didn't care about his friend's dilema. He just wanted to get his friend's mind away from Kagome. It was all his friend could talk about and Miroku didn't like to see his normally tough friend sad.

"We can't do anything," Inu-yasha pointed out. "We're at a stalemate. If we do something to him, he'll tell Kagome about us tepeeing her house. If he does something to us, we'll post that picture on the internet. We're stuck."

"Yeah, but we can't just let him get away with what he did to our cars!" Miroku groaned. "He did the last prank. That means _he _won!"

"I know, I know," Inu-yasha growled impatiently. "But what can we do? He'll suspect everything."

"We could make it seem like an accident," Miroku suggested.

"Yeah, like he'll think his car was just _accidentally _pushed off a cliff." Inu-yasha chuckled at the thought.

Miroku laughed. "No, I don't think that would quite work."

The two pondered about revenge. After an hour and they still didn't make any progress, Inu-yasha decided to call it quits for the night and went to sleep. Miroku hoped that their talk had filled his friend's thoughts for the night. This was the worse he had ever seen Inu-yasha and he decided he didn't like it at all. Miroku wanted Kagome and him to make up almost as much as Inu-yasha did.

Inu-yasha went to sleep angry at his brother but woke up the next morning depressed about Kagome. He wondered what she was doing and hoped she wasn't still mad. He thought about the basket he had left her and wondered if she had kept it or just thrown it out.

Inu-yasha sulked around the house, not even bothering to shower and put on some real clothes. As always, whenever he was confused and unhappy, he went to Tami. He always either went to his mother or Tami but sometimes, a parent can be too judgemental and scolding about their children's actions and thoughts so he found it best to go to the family maid instead about this particular subject.

He wondered into the kitchen were he knew Tami would be busy preparing some kind of snack. He had waken up too late for breakfast and it was too early for lunch.

"Goodness," Tami smiled when she saw Inu-yasha in his pajama bottoms with no shirt and a frown. "You look like you just ate some brussel sprouts," she smiled. Tami knew he hated those. When Inu-yasha didn't laugh or even smile she frowned and said, "What's wrong baby?"

Inu-yasha sighed loudly. "A lot," he grumbled.

Tami stirred up some batter. "Is it too much to be fixed by my famous pumpkin chocolate chip cookies?" Tami gestured with her flour plastered finger at a jar of pumpkin jam.

Inu-yasha smiled weakily. "Maybe," he said as he dipped his finger in her batter and tasted it. Normally, Tami would have chopped off his whole hand if he had dared to do that but this time, she let it slide.

Tami put her batter down and said worridly, "What's the matter?"

Inu-yasha sat down. "Well, Kagome might never talk to me again. She saw me with another girl and I know it just looked all wrong. I don't know what to do." The words tumbled out of Inu-yasha's mouth. He didn't bother to stop them though. He knew Tami wouldn't think any differently of him if Inu-yasha showed the soft, worried side of him.

Tami nodded, taking in his words. "Well, I can't guarentee it, but I bet that girl is just as sad as you are. Most girls are fragile when it comes to boys. They might act tough but when their feelings are hurt," Tami shook her head for emphasis, "they are _hurt_." She took up stirring her batter again.

Inu-yasha let out a depressed sigh. What Tami just said only made him feel more guilty. But he could always count on her to give it to him straight.

"You said she won't talk to you?" Tami asked. Inu-yasha nodded. "What you got to do is find a way to make her talk to you. Give her no choice. Then explain yourself. I'm not going to say it will make her forgive you and love you again. But it will make you feel better. And after you explain, she'll be happy to know the full story and not just what she had assumed." Tami grunted knowingly. "You'd be surprised how much a girl can assume in one night."

Inu-yasha smiled and thought about what Tami said. "But how do I get her to talk to me? What if she avoids me at school?"

Tami smiled. "I'm sure you'll find a way to find her." Tami added some extra chocolate chips to her batter.

Suddenly Inu-yasha smiled widely and said, "Thank you Tami." He didn't quite have an idea about what he was going to do but he was glad for her advice. As always, it helped and reassured him greatly.

"Anytime," she smiled. He stole a few chocolate chips before he left the kitchen.

Just as Inu-yasha entered the foyer on his way to his room, he saw a particularly angry man leaning against the banister. Inu-yasha took one look at him and veered off into the other direction, hoping his father didn't quite see him.

"Inu-yasha!" Inutaisho called. _Damn_, Inu-yasha thought. _So close._

Inu-yasha obediantly went back to his father. He stood under the watchful gaze of his dad with his head down.

"Would you be so kind as to tell me why your girlfriend never bothered to show up last night?" There it was again, that deadly calm tone. Any normal person would have shouted that question.

Inu-yasha gulped. "Actually, she was there. You just didn't see her. She told me that she had to leave early and left before I could introduce you two." Inutaisho stared at Inu-yasha, his eyes alert for any sign of lying. "She said she would be more than happy to make it up to you."

After a moment, Inutaisho said, "Why did she leave? And why did you wait until now to tell me?"

"She didn't even tell me why she had to leave, just that she had to leave right then. I just forgot to tell you." Inu-yasha hoped so much that Inutaisho couldn't see through his white lies. Anyone who didn't know him would think he was telling the truth. Unfortunetly, Inutaisho knew him very well.

Inu-yasha waited patiently for Inutaisho to respond. The longer he stood there, the more he thought he had pulled it off. If his dad had to think about it, it meant he wasn't certain. Inu-yasha smiled to himself.

Inutaisho wondered what to think. If his son was lying, he could easily punish him. But if he wasn't, he didn't want to leave a bad impression on the girl. "Alright," he finally said, "we are going to have another party in her honor next Friday. I expect to see her here this time." With that he walked away. If Inu-yasha was telling the truth, she'd have no problem coming over a second time to make up for not showing last time. If he turned out to be lying, he'd have to tell the truth on the night of the second party, or even sooner. Either way, he won.

Inu-yasha's eyes widened as his father turned his back to him. So now he had a limit to how soon needed to talk to Kagome. He had a week and he knew it wouldn't be that hard to talk to her in that time but he coudn't guarentee that she would be willing to go to another party for him. He grumbled about his father the whole way up to his room.

xXx

**Four Days Later**

xXx

_Thump..._

_Thump..._

_Thump!_

Inu-yasha raised his head to bang it on the bench again when Miroku caught him. Inu-yasha rolled his eyes to look at his friend. Miroku could easily see the frustration and sadness in them. They were at Reanu Park after school on their favorite bench under the shade of some trees. The two of them had gotten slurpies from the local 7-11 but Inu-yasha hadn't even touched his.

It was Wednesday.

"It's been four days," Inu-yasha moaned sadly, his head on the bench. "Where the _hell _is she?"

Miroku sighed. "I don't know. Just don't hit your head again... You're giving _me _a headache."

After three school days, Inu-yasha still hadn't even caught a glimpse of Kagome. By now, he knew she was avoiding him (and doing an incredibly good job at it). Was she skipping school just to get away from him? Did she decide to move again and was at home packing now? The possibilities were driving Inu-yasha crazy.

He never saw her at school. Monday after school he had waited for her at her house. By four thirty, he started to get uneasy. Either she never came home from school or she had gotten there before him and never came out of the house. Tuesday night he worked up the courage to knock on the door. A woman Inu-yasha guessed to be Kagome's mother opened the door. She said she was staying the night at a friend's house so they could finish a project. Today he didn't want to sit by her house again. He felt like a stalker. Miroku suggested they stay at their favorite park for a snack to try and cheer Inu-yasha up. So far it wasn't working. He was so out of it that sometimes, he didn't even notice Miroku talking to him.

He had been like this the past four days. He was always distracted with his own thoughts about various things, mostly concerning Kagome. Miroku had tried in vain to get him to think about revenge concerning his brother but it didn't seem to be working. He would be distracted for a little while but then his mind would be back on Kagome. It was driving both of them crazy.

Inu-yasha's prank feeling had come a long time ago but he brushed it off. He had never ignored it before and he found out that if he disregarded it for so long, it became a numb feeling that never went away. It annoyed the hell out of him but with his thoughts on Kagome all the time, he didn't notice it as much any more. Miroku was dying to prank someone, _anybody_. At this point it didn't matter who it was. But without his partner in crime, pranking didn't feel the same and so Miroku didn't bother either.

Inu-yasha looked up at the slurpie he hadn't touched. It was his favorite, blueberry. Even as a kid, he loved how it turned his tongue and teeth blue. Finally, Inu-yasha took a sip. It made him feel a little better.

Miroku groaned. "Come on Inu-yasha, you can't be like this for the rest of the year. She's just one girl out of millions. You can find a different project. Just stop being so depressed. It's putting me in a bad mood too." Miroku had been okay with it the first few days. But then he figured it wouldn't be long before his friend got over Kagome. Inu-yasha didn't seem to be getting out of his depression any time soon. Now seeing his long time best friend at his worst was killing him. He was willing to do anything to get Inu-yasha happy again.

"I can't find a different project," Inu-yasha grumbled. "That would mean I'm giving up and I haven't failed a project yet. I'm not going to start now."

"Yeah but you're going to put yourself through all this?"

Inu-yasha sighed and didn't answer. He asked himself if he really was going to put up with this for one girl. He thought about Kagome's smile and all the times she had snapped at him. He thought about the pain he could see in her eyes on rare occasions. He thought about her laugh and how carefree she could seem. Inu-yasha smiled and said, "If it's for her, I don't mind so much."

Miroku smiled and sighed with a shake of his head. "You're too stubborn for your own good," he chuckled. He was annoyed by all this but he was happy to see that Inu-yasha was still strong enough not to quit.

xXx

Inu-yasha rolled over onto his side in his king sized bed. He sighed. This no sleep at night thing was _really _getting old. It was later that night and his thoughts were still plagued by Kagome. For all that thinking he did about her, he still didn't have a clue how to get her back into his reach.

Suddenly, he got an idea. Why hadn't he thought of this three days ago? He looked at his clock which shown '11:52'. It figures he would get an idea at twelve o'clock when it was too late. With a smirk, he thought, _who says it's too late?_ It would be risky but nothing could make Kagome hate him more than she did so it was worth a shot.

Inu-yasha rolled out of bed and sneaked down the hallway after he put some shoes and a shirt on. He was sure everyone was asleep but he still remained quiet as he slipped out of the garage. He hoped the garage opening and closing wouldn't wake anyone but he had to use his car. It was pitch black outside and there was no way he was going to run all the way to Kagome's house... Not that he was scared or anything...

Inu-yasha pulled up to Kagome's home a few minutes later. He parked and made his way to her dark house. He felt like a criminal, sneaking around at midnight like this. Inu-yasha circled the house until he thought he found Kagome's room. He was glad their house had only one story. He easily pulled himself to the window sill and peeked inside. Stuffed animals, two-inch thick textbooks, a picture of Will Smith hanging on the wall... Yup, that was definately her room. (**Hehe, Will Smith is mah boi! Lol!)**

With a grunt, Inu-yasha got her window open. Trying to be as quiet as possible, he slipped inside... only to trip over something and come crashing down head first into the hard carpet floor. He cursed the floor for being there but instantly took a deep breathe to keep quiet. He heard Kagome stirring in her bed. He prayed to God that she wouldn't wake up completely. Not only would she find out he had snuck into her room earlier than he would have hoped but she would also see his face imprinted into the floor. Wonderful.

When she was quiet again, Inu-yasha stood up to see what had tripped him, ready to rip it to shreds. However, he only smiled when he saw the basket of rose petals tipped over on the floor. So she had decided to keep it after all. He righted the basket and replaced the rose petals with a smile.

Now he gazed at Kagome's sleeping form. She had only an oversized shirt on that barely reached her upper thighs. By the temperature of the room Inu-yasha guessed she wore it to cool down. It was quite warm in her small room. She was on her back breathing peacefully, her arms splayed in various directions. Her cover's were tossed aside. She had no use for them in the hot bedroom. He smiled again when he saw the teddy bear he'd left for her tucked under her arm.

He had decided to take Tami's advice and trap her so she had no choice but to talk to him. What better place for that than in her own house? He'd refuse to leave until they had a few things straightened out. He hoped that with it being midnight, she wouldn't yell so much. He knew that she didn't want her family rushing in to see them together in her room so late at night... and neither did he. That was guarenteed to leave a bad first impression on the family.

Suddenly Inu-yasha hesitated. Maybe he shouldn't have come here. She would only get mad at him and the ignoring would start all over... No, he had come here to set things right and now that he was here, he might as well get it over with.

Inu-yasha leaned over Kagome, preparing to shake her awake... Only her face caught his attention. She looked like she was having a peaceful happy dream. A soft smile played on her lips. Inu-yasha smiled also.

Before he knew what he was doing, he began to lean over to give her a gentle kiss. Just as he was closing in, Kagome's eyes began to flutter open.

xXx

Kagome opened her eyes to see another face only inches away from hers. It was blurry but nevertheless, she took a deep breathe and screamed so loud, she was sure China had heard her. Her scream was cut short by a large hand that covered her mouth. Instinctivly, she bite down on it, _hard_. Whoever it was yelped in pain and stepped away from her killer jaws. Just as she was preparing to scream again, her vision became clear and she saw the face clearly in the moonlight filtering from her open window.

"I-Inu-Inu-yasha?" she exclaimed. Inu-yasha stared at her, fearing she'd scream again. Realizing she had probably woken up her family, she hissed in a quieter voice, "What the _hell _are you doing here?"

Inu-yasha chuckled nerviously as he stood there with a blush hot on his cheeks. He looked as if he had planned a whole conversation but had just forgotten the whole thing. "Hey..." he said akwardly.

Kagome was enraged. "Don't you 'hey' me! I said what are you doing here!"

"I heard you," he snapped in a quieter tone. He was still blushing from his almost-kiss. He began to wonder when he'd finally get a chance to kiss her for real...

"So, are you going to answer me or not?" Kagome snapped.

Suddenly determination glowed in Inu-yasha's eyes as he sat down on her bed. She gawked at him as if he was crazy but he began to talk before she could say anything. "Look, I know you're avoiding me. If you had given me a chance to explain myself, I wouldn't have had to come here to your room."

She rasied an annoyed eyebrow. "Are you saying that it is my fault you made me scream like that and wake half the world?"

Before Inu-yasha could even open his mouth, Kagome jumped up and yanked on his arm for him to stand up also. She abruptly shoved him into her closet and closed it behind him. Seconds later, just as she layed back on her bed, her door burst open. An old man stood there with a wooden bat.

"Where is the demon?" he shouted. "Don't worry Kagome, I'll get it!" He then proceeded to swing the bat at the air in front of him. Kagome's mom then stepped into the room.

"Are you alright dear?" she asked, worry laced into her voice. "I heard a terrible scream..."

Kagome said from her bed, "It's nothing. I just had a nightmare."

Her mom frowned in worry and she went over to Kagome's bed. She sat down and said softly, "It wasn't about him again was it?"

"Oh no," Kagome said reassuringly. "It was just about some hideous monster I got a close up of." She said that with a glare at the closet. Inu-yasha stuck his tongue out at her even though he knew she couldn't see him.

Her mom smiled and said, "Okay. Get some sleep, hon. See you in the morning." She left the room, pushing Grandpa back to his room who was still swinging at invisible spirits. Kagome followed her mom to the door and left for a moment. She came back with a white linen wrapping and then marched over to the closet. She yanked the door open. She didn't say anything, just shoved the linen in his face and sat at her desk. Inu-yasha mumbled a thanks as he bandaged his hand, the one she had bite down on. Apparently, she had noticed the blood earlier. Inu-yasha had been too embarrassed to really take notice. Inu-yasha akwardly sat down on her bed, still wrapping his hand and wondering what she was thinking.

She took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself. She locked her hands together on her lap and said in a much quieter and calmer voice than before, "Alright. What are you doing here?"

Inu-yasha gulped nerviously. He licked his parched lips and replied. "We need to talk," he began. He had finished with his hand now.

"That's what we're doing, isn't it?" she snapped. Suddenly realizing she was getting loud again, she took another breath and said polietly, "About what?"

"First, about the party some nights ago." Inu-yasha was still having a hard time trying to gather his thoughts.

Kagome went quiet and looked away. She slightly bit her lower lip in remembrance. She didn't like this topic. Even after four days, she still hadn't gotten over the picture of him and that girl together.

Inu-yasha sighed. Time to get this overwith. "You ran away before I had a chance to explain. The girl I was with was your cousin, Kikyo. Remember when I asked if you had a twin? It was because I had met her at the store before and thought she was you. She even went along with it when I called her 'Kagome'. But she wasn't acting like you would and so I got suspcious. That's why I asked, just to make sure. When you saw us at the party, I had pulled her aside because I caught her pretending to be you again." When he'd finished, Inu-yasha smiled proudly to himself. That had come out better than he thought. It almost made sense.

Kagome looked at him and then turned away again. She thought about what he had said carefully. "Then..." She wasn't sure if she wanted to ask this but she forced herself to form the words. "Then why did you two look like you were... you know, about to kiss?" She blushed. She was glad the moonlight didn't reach her desk where she was sitting. Hopefully, he couldn't see it.

Inu-yasha hesitated at her question. The truth was that he had been comparing the two but he didn't want to tell her how much more he prefered her over Kikyo. It would be too... mushy for his likeing. But lying wasn't an option either. He soon found the right words. "Well... In all honesty, she was about to kiss me. I was trying to find out how I had ever mistaken her for you." Kagome was still quiet and so he continued. "You two really look nothing alike you know? And you're a lot nicer, even when you do yell at me." Kagome chuckled and so did he.

Kagome took in a shaky breathe. All she felt at the moment was relief. But the relief was soon overwhelmed by guilt. How could she have thought Inu-yasha would betray her like that? She should have known he wasn't that type of guy.

When Kagome was quiet for some time, Inu-yasha said, "Also, where the hell have you been this week?"

Kagome looked away, more guilty than ever. "Well, after that day, I transfered out of all the classes I had with you. Monday, I waited until five to come home and Tuesday, I stayed at Sango's house."

Inu-yasha bit his lip. "You didn't want to talk to me that bad?"

Kagome could only nod. Guilt washed over her. Now that Inu-yasha turned out to be innocent, she knew it wasn't really to go through with all that... But then again, the fact that he was off-limits still lingered in her mind.

Suddenly Kagome remembered something. "Why were you so close to me when I woke up?" she asked suspiciously.

Inu-yasha's eyes widened. He had forgotten about that! "Th-That's not important now," he stammered.

"Oh yes it is," Kagome said, rising from her seat. She took a step closer to Inu-yasha and said, "You want to straighten things out? Now's you chance. Answer me."

Inu-yasha abruptly stood up from the bed and inched his way to the open window. "Um... Well, you see, uh..." His words weren't coming quick to save him this time.

Kagome jumped in the way of the window and Inu-yasha took a step back toward the bed. "No answer?" she asked in a deadly tone.

Inu-yasha frantically tried to think of an excuse. Bingo! He smiled wickedly and said, "I'll tell you if you promise me something."

Kagome stopped her steady pace toward him and hesitated. "Promise what?"

He smiled again and said, "You have to come to dinner with me tomorrow. And this time, it's a _real _date." He crossed his arms stubbornly and sat down on her bed, his chin raised defiantly in the air.

"What?" Kagome exclaimed. She covered her mouth right after for fear of waking her family again.

Inu-yasha was really pushing his luck. He had only just went from 'hated' to 'neutral' on her relationship bar and he was already asking her on a date. And it was their first real one, no less! She should say no, right to his face... But she also really wanted to hear Inu-yasha admit to her he had tried to kiss her. Yes, she knew what he was trying to do. She wasn't blind. But she wanted the satisfaction of him admitting it. Yes it was cruel but she liked winning against him that way. She just liked to tease him since he seemed to like doing it to her. Call it revenge if you like. Now she could win the game but at a cost, and it was a bit pricey...

Inu-yasha knew for sure she would turn him down. But it was actually what he wanted. He _really_ didn't want to tell her 'yeah, I was just about to give you a big fat kiss'. That was the last thing he wanted to do. So he picked the last thing she would want to do to get out of it. He figured it would still take time for Kagome to completely forgive him, even if he had just explained everything. There was _no_ way she would say--

"Yes," Kagome said determinedly.

Inu-yasha's smirk quickly faded. His stubborn stance instantly loosened. He gawked at her. "What?" he asked disbelieving.

"I said alright, it's a date. I promise." She was loving his reaction. She hadn't been expecting it since she thought it was what he wanted but she enjoyed it nonetheless. "So now that I promised, you have to tell me."

Inu-yasha growled at her. "You know, I don't like your games." By now he figured out that there was now way she didn't know what he was trying to do before she woke up. She was just trying to get him to say it out loud to her.

"Who said anything about games?" she asked innocently. She paused then grinned from ear to ear. "Say it," she smirked.

"You're really enjoying this aren't you?" he groaned.

Kagome just continued to smile widely. "Come on, a deal's a deal. I'm waiting..." She cupped her hand around her ear.

Inu-yasha blushed madly. He had no choice. She was right, a deal's a deal. Of course, he wouldn't have made the deal if he had known it would backfire. "I was... I was about to kiss you," he mumbled. "Now are you happy?" he growled.

She went over to him and enclosed him in a big bear hug. "That wasn't so hard, was it?" she asked when she pulled away.

Inu-yasha grumbled a string of curse words, his blush still in plain sight. Kagome laughed.

**XxXxX**

**So whatcha think? You know, I'm somewhat pleased with this chapter. I tried to add some funny so it wasn't all dramatic and depressing. I'm hoping that I didn't make Kagome seem too bad with the way she likes to tease him. Only fun and games though. ****I had planned on adding more to this chapter but I hadn't noticed how long it was. This is my longest chapter yet. I actually didn't want to cut it off here and put their date in as well but I guess that's not going to happen. Next chapter will have their date in it. **

**I'm reaching the end of my story now. If the chapters go as planned, there is going to be only one more. But knowing me, I'll end up writing so much that I'll have to put the last bit of the story into two instead of only one. I can't say when my next update will be though. The next chapter's going to be hard for me to write. You see, when I had started this story, I only had a vague idea of how I was going to end it. Now that the end is actually here, I really have no clue how to wrap it up effectively. I'll figure something out though. Might be hard with school starting shortly but I'll do it. **

**Anyway, thanks for sticking with me and putting up with me so far! You readers and reviewers are really what inspires me to go on. Thank you!**

**Hiko18**


	14. Chapter 14: What Feels Right

**Hello my fans! Sorry for the late update. So much for finishing this story before school starts, lol. First couple of weeks of school suck and it's so disorganized. I've been trying to get everything straight with my schedule and so far, still haven't succeeded. Anyway, enjoy Chapter 14!**

**Previously on "The Project":**

_Inu-yasha blushed madly. He had no choice. She was right, a deal's a deal. Of course, he wouldn't have made the deal if he had known it would backfire. "I was... I was about to kiss you," he mumbled. "Now are you happy?" he growled._

_She went over to him and enclosed him in a big bear hug. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"_

_Inu-yasha grumbled a string of curse words. Kagome laughed._

**Chapter 14**

**What Feels Right**

Inu-yasha glared at her. She was sitting next to him on her bed after she'd hugged him. "It's _not _funny," he growled lowly.

Kagome only laughed louder. She couldn't help it. For some reason, she was overwhelmed with joy that Inu-yasha and her were on somewhat good terms now. She had been so miserable the past four days. It was unbelievable how much she cared about him and how much she wanted him in her life.

Inu-yasha raised an eyebrow at her increase in volume. Suddenly he got a smirk that practically shouted trouble. Without her noticing, he inched closer to her. She was still laughing. When she calmed down enough to fully see him, it was already too late. Quick as lightening, his face moved towards hers. Out of instinct, she backed away and Inu-yasha's lips missed hers by only an inch. He had kissed her cheek instead.

"Dammit," he growled in frustration with a snap of his fingers.

Kagome gaped at him. "Y-You kissed me!" she said in an angry voice, her hand touching the spot where he'd kissed her. She used her anger as a disguise to hide her blush.

"It got you to stop laughing, didn't it?" Inu-yasha smirked. He put his hands behind his head and said, "Besides, a kiss on the cheek doesn't count."

"Who says?" Kagome pouted.

Inu-yasha stood up and bowed proudly. "Yours truely," he said smuggly.

Kagome couldn't help but laugh as Inu-yasha sat back down.

"You know," Inu-yasha said after she had calmed down a bit, "I'm glad I came here. I was doubting the idea when I got here but then again, you couldn't have hated me more than you did so I gave it a shot." He scratched his head sheepishly.

Kagome smiled and said, "I'm glad you came too." She paused and then said with a chuckle, "And you're right, there wasn't much more you could do for me to hate you more."

Inu-yasha chuckled and then suddenly got serious. "That reminds me, when you see your brother again..." He got a really dark look. "Tell him to watch his back." That little boy... was going to _die_.

"Will do," Kagome laughed again. He looked cute when he tried to be evil. Suddenly her eyes got big and she jumped up. She yanked on his arm for him to stand up to. She pushed him toward the window and hissed, "You have to go!"

"What, no front door?" Inu-yasha complained jokingly.

"Go!" she growled as she shoved him off the window sill. He landed with a thud.

He was just about to demand what that as for when he heard her mother's voice float down from the window. "Honey, are you alright?"

Kagome whipped around to face her mom. "I'm fine!" she squeaked. She looked back at Inu-yasha. Her eyes flickered toward the street, pleading for him to leave. His presense would only make it harder for her to explain. He nodded and ran. Just before he was out of hearing distance, he heard Kagome say to her mom, "You see, there was this squirrel..."

xXx

The next morning, Sango got to be the lucky one to hear Kagome complain about having to tell her mother some crazy story about an acorn-mad squirrel all because of Inu-yasha's midnight visit. Sango didn't mind though. In fact, she smiled when she saw her friend storm out of her house, just about ready to explode. If she was angry, it meant she wasn't depressed any more. She could deal with Kagome angry, but not when she was depressed. She could get over anger but depression was a different story.

The two girls stepped out of the car and headed for the front door of Mica High School. Kagome was still ranting and raving.

"I can't believe him! That boy is the craziest person I know!" Kagome huffed.

"I _know _you aren't talking about me," a familiar voice interupted her tirade. She turned to see Inu-yasha smiling, leaning against the front door.

Kagome blushed but spat out angrily, "Of course not! I don't even want to think about you let alone talk about you! Besides, if I called you crazy, you'd take it as a compliment." She had been talking about him but she didn't want to give him the satisfaction that he was, in fact, on her mind quite a lot.

Inu-yasha laughed and said, "You're right about that!"

Kagome scowled and huffed noisily. She turned her nose and walked through the doors with Sango in tow.

"Aww, come on," Inu-yasha complained as he jogged to catch up with her. "I was only joking." She kept her head straight and attepted to ignore him. "Besides, aren't I the one who should be angry? You're the one who pushed me out the window."

Kagome growled, "I had to. Would you rather I let you stay and my mom see you in my room?" She sideways glanced at the uneasy boy. "Didn't think so. Besides, you're just lucky I didn't have enough time to drop an ancor on your head! I can't believe you would come to my house so late on a school night."

Inu-yasha just smirked. "You have to believe it. I just did it last night." Kagome stuck her tongue out at him and he laughed. "Speaking of last night, are you ready for today?"

Kagome looked at him questioningly and then remembered their promise. She blushed. She'd never let anyone know that she couldn't sleep after he and her mom left. She had been thinking about how their date would turn out all night. Realizing that Inu-yasha and Sango could probably see her blush, she scoffed and replied, "I'm not worried. Besides, I'm only doing this because it was a promise, not because I want to."

Inu-yasha rolled his eyes at her and said, "You're such a bad liar."

Kagome huffed and turned to face him. "I am _not _lying!"

Inu-yasha raised an eyebrow at her. After only a split second, he turned straight forward again and said, "Yes you are. It's in your eyes."

Kagome's jaw fell open slightly and she stopped walking. Inu-yasha kept walking until he realized she had stopped. He turned around cocked his head to the side, trying to find out why she was looking at him like that. Sango had stopped walking behind Kagome. She just watched the two talk. It was really quite entertaining.

Kagome was about to say something like 'you don't know me so stop acting like you do' but she saw Inu-yasha's face first. She suddenly started laughing. He looked just like a puppy with his head tilted to the side like that.

Now Inu-yasha got annoyed. "What's so funny?" He cocked his head to the other side.

She tried to suppress another wave a laughter but failed. Now Sango was laughing behind her having realized what her friend was laughing at.

Inu-yasha crossed his arms across his chest in frustration. "You two better be laughing _with_ me and not _at_ me," he warned.

Kagome calmed down and walked toward him. "No, of course not, we would never laugh at you," she said innocently. She went past him toward her locker, a snickering Sango following her.

It took a while for the wheels in Inu-yasha's head to process the way Kagome had said that statement. He glared and said, "Are you being sarcastic?"

Kagome and Sango laughed again as they reached their lockers. Inu-yasha was just about to go over to them when Miroku came up behind him. "Inu-yasha!" he shouted in his ear.

Inu-yasah winced and turned to face his friend. "I'm right here! You don't have to yell!" He matched Miroku's volume perfectly.

Miroku flinched when Inu-yasha raised his voice but soon got over it. "I've been looking for you every where! If you were where I could find you, we wouldn't have this problem!"

Inu-yasha looked at Kagome and Sango who were just turning the corner, their giggles only just now receeding. He groaned and glared at Miroku. "What do you want?" He had wanted to talk to the two some more.

"I have the perfect idea to get Sesshomaru back!" he blurted.

Inu-yasha's eyes brightened. "Really?" he asked hopefully.

"Come here, you have to meet somebody first..." He grinned myscheviously. Just then the bell rang. Miroku chuckled and said, "Well, I guess you'll have to meet her after school." He began to walk to their lockers with Inu-yasha following.

"Her?" Inu-yasha asked with a raise of his eyebrow.

Miroku grinned again. "I meet her when I got here this morning. Apparently, she has a major crush on your brother."

Inu-yasha groaned. What made Miroku think he cared?

"Hold on," Miroku said, impatient with his friend, "you didn't let me finish. She can do our job for us. All we have to do is encourage her to persue him and give her some information on him. I talked to her for no more than five minutes and I already know that she's going to annoy the hell out of Sesshomaru. It's the perfect plan. Your brother gets to go through hell, she gets to spend time with her crush, and we get to laugh at Sesshomaru's misery." Miroku held his head proudly in the air. Inu-yasha didn't even help him with this plan. The two had reached their lockers by now and were gathering their books.

Inu-yasha thought about it a moment and then asked, "How do we know she'll stick to him? You know how my brother is and how harsh he is to someone he doesn't like. What if she gives up after only a couple days? I don't know about you but I think that he'd need a whole year of annoyance before we would be even close to even."

Miroku nodded in agreement. "Believe me, she'll stick to him like glue for five years in the least. She's just as stubborn as you, maybe even more. And she's just as stoic as your brother and hardly ever takes 'no' as an answer, so they should get along just fine." He finished with a smirk.

Inu-yasha slammed his locker door shut. A smile slowly spread across his face. "Sounds like a plan," he grinned. "When do we meet her, and how do we encourage her?"

Miroku closed his locker door too and grinned. "We meet her after scool and all we have to do is tell her that your brother is highly interested in her but just won't admit it, not even to her." The two went to their first class, history. Just as they reached the door to their class, Miroku added, "Oh, and her name is Kagura."

xXx

It was weird for Inu-yahsa not to see Kagome in his classes, especially since they weren't really fighting any more. When the bell rang for lunch and Miroku and Inu-yasha went down to the cafeteria, all Inu-yasha could think about was where he would take Kagome for their date. When he had made the bet, he didn't think she would say yes and so he didn't really put thought into the matter of where they would go. Now, he had to come up with something by that night.

Miroku and Inu-yasha made it to the cafeteria by now and went in line for nuggets. Miroku was talking about something but Inu-yasha was still distracted by his thoughts.

"Um, Inu-yasha?" Miroku said with a raised eyebrow.

Inu-yasha snapped back to the present and looked at his friend. "Hmm?"

Miroku rolled his eyes and said, "You haven't heard a single thing I've said, have you?"

Inu-yasha coughed uneasily.

Miroku sighend irratably. "I was saying that you have to find out Sesshomaru's schedule for Kagura. She'll have better access to his life if she knows where his is at all times. And you'll have to find out his favorite hang-out spots."

Inu-yasha nodded. "It's not a problem. One day of spying should be enough to find out everything." He'd have to spy since his brother would never just come out and tell him everything he needed to know.

The two grabbed their trays and walked to their favorite table. But just as they were about to sit down, Inu-yasha felt someone staring at him. His eyes instinctivly turned to Kagome's table. There she was, staring straight at him. When their eyes met, she looked away hastily with slightly pink cheeks. She began talking to Sango who was sitting across from her as if she had never even seen him.

Inu-yasha smirked and went over to her table. Miroku saw where he was headed and just smiled. When he saw the two talking to each other and not yelling before he'd sneaked up on Inu-yasha earlier that morning, he figured it had to be a good sign, considering neither he nor Inu-yasha had even had a glimpse of Kagome for quite some time. He knew Inu-yasha would explain the story to him when he wanted to. So, Miroku just sat down and talked to the people (mostly girls) around his table.

Inu-yasha plopped down right next to Kagome. "Hey," he said as he ate a french fry.

Kagome rolled her eyes and said, "Even after I told you it was a bad thing to do, you still continue to have rude manners and eat while you talk around us ladies."

Inu-yasha raised an annoyed eyebrow at her. He finished chewing and said, "Do you ever have anything nice to say?"

"Not to you," she said, accenting the last word.

Inu-yasha rolled his eyes and sighed audibly. "_Anyway_, I'm picking you up at eight... Just so you know."

A blush sprang to Kagome's face. Why did he have to keep reminding her about tonight? In an attempt to distract them and herself from her pink cheeks, she asked, "Where are we going?"

"Uh," Inu-yasha studdered, "i-it's a surprise."

Kagome smirked. "Is it a good surprise?" she pressed.

"Of course!" he said a little too quickly. "I mean, yeah, you're going to love it."

She smirked with a suspicious eyebrow raised. "I bet I will." She giggled and Sango did too. She had told her friend about the bet that morning so Sango was able to keep up with their conversation.

Suddenly, Sango said, "Where's your friend?"

Inu-yasha blinked. "You mean Miroku?"

"Yeah."

Inu-yasha pointed at him who was currently sitting alone, a few girls walking away angrily. "Right there."

Sango was quiet so Kagome jumped in. "You know," she said, "you aren't a very good friend. You keep leaving him over there. How come he never comes over here when you do?"

Inu-yasha looked over at his friend. He felt a wave of guilt wash over him. "I... I don't know."

When Inu-yasha just kept staring at his friend's back, Kagome got impatient. "Well, don't just sit there, tell him to come over."

Although surprised that Kagome cared, he obeyed anway. "Miroku!" he called. Miroku turned around and saw Inu-yasha telling him to come over with a hand gesture. He went over to them with his tray and sat down next to Inu-yasha.

"Hey ladies," he said in a flirtacious voice.

Inu-yasha nudged him with a warning glance. There would be no womanizing with these two girls and Inu-yasha would make sure of that.

The four chatted until the bell rang.

xXx

Inu-yasha drove home, thoughts bouncing around inside his head.

Gym had been hell again. Kouga continued to annoy him to no end. Stupid little bastard. Inu-yasha was trying to think of a really good prank to get him back with.

On top of that, he had met Kagura. There was no doubt in his mind that she would do her job. Miroku was right about everything he had said about her. Their conversation was only a few minutes long but Inu-yasha had been dying to get away from her after the first few seconds. She was tenacious, irritating, and apathetic, just what they needed. Since all Inu-yasha had to give her was Sesshomaru's phone number, he promised to give her some more information she needed the next day. He wondered what Sesshomaru would think of her.

His thoughts were centered around Kagome, however, and their date. After pondering all day, he still didn't know where to take her. _Sakura _would have been his first choice but he had already taken her there. He wanted variety, some where quiet and somewhat romantic. Again, he wasn't much into romance but he'd give it a shot. According to Miroku, all girls loved romance so he took it from him.

Inu-yasha pulled into the garage and hoped out the car. He noted that his mother and Sesshomaru were already home. He figured as much since he had walked with Kagome to her house again, chatting about nothing in particular. They wanted to save some conversation for that night. Kagome had inquired where they were going to go again, but Inu-yasha just told her she'd have to wait and see. The first time she had asked, he wasn't prepared to answer so his reply sounded improvised. This time, he answer was more solid even though he really didn't know where to take her.

Inu-yasha made his way to his room, dropping his backpack with a thud. He thought of picking his clothes for that night but decided the task would be easier if he knew where he was going. After a few minutes of just standing there, Inu-yasha gave up and decided to ask his mother for suggestions.

He found her rummaging around in her desk in her room. When she looked up and saw him, she said cheerfully, "Hi honey. Need something?" She always had a knack for reading minds.

"Actually, I do," he said as he walked over and sat on her bed. "I'm going on a date tonight and I wanted to know if you had any ideas of where I should take her."

Izayoi smiled. "Did you think about _Sakura_?" she asked.

"I already took her there."

She thought about it for a while and suddenly snapped her fingers. "I know just the place!" she proclaimed. "It was the place your father took me on our first date and where he proposed. It's called _Zake_. Everyone is so nice and the music is wonderful. I'm sure she'll love it." Izayoi wrote something on a piece of paper on her desk and handed it to her son. "Directions," she explained without being asked. "I'd know how to get there from anywhere." Izayoi smiled.

Inu-yasha returned her smile and said, "Thanks Mom." He gave her a quick hug before exiting her room, busy thinking about the upcoming night.

xXx

Inu-yasha pulled up to Kagome's house at exactly eight o'clock. He dressed casually, a loose navy blue button-up shirt and a white tee under it with black pants. He left the first few buttons of his shirt open. He brought his red and white jacket with him too.

As Inu-yasha went up the stairs, he couldn't help but think about what was in store for him and his date. He had never been to _Zake _before and so didn't know what to expect. He didn't even know if it was Kagome's style. But he figured that if his mom thought it was nice, it couldn't be that bad, especially since his father had even proposed to her there. As he rang the front door bell, he wondered what Kagome would look like, if she would resort to her normal baggy clothes or if she would get more dressed up. He soon found out when she opened the door a moment later.

Kagome was _amazing_, absolutely stunning. Inu-yasha could just picture his jaw on the floor as he took the whole sight in. Kagome's face was lit up with her bright smile. She had on light make-up, just blush and mascara, not that she needed it. Her bangs fell in tiny curls around her face while the rest was pulled back behind her shoulders, thick and wavy. He could just barely make out her dangling sapphire earings hiding behind her hair. She wore a strapless cerulean dress that flowed down to her knees. It hugged in all the right places. A knitted blue scarf protected her neck as she held it up with her arms. Her heels were black with a tiny silver bow.

When Inu-yasha didn't say anything and stared instead, Kagome looked at the floor with a blush.

"You look beautiful," Inu-yasha breathed, sorry that his words were a severe understatement.

Kagome's blush deepened and she said, "Thank you."

Inu-yasha smiled, still in awe.

Kagome, having realized they needed to get going sooner or later, yelled back into the house, "Mom, I'm leaving!" She was just about to walk out and close the door when Mrs. Higurashi came onto the foyer, camera in hand.

"My, you two look wonderful!" She then proceeded to snap shots of them both. Inu-yasha was startled at first, and squinted at the bright flashes.

"Mom!" Kagome yelled, blushing. She attempted to take the camera from her but her mother dodged and snapped a few more shots. Inu-yasha grinned, throughly entertained.

"Come on, let me get one good picture of you two," she complained.

"God Mom, you act like I have never gone on a date before," Kagome said exasperated and crossed her arms.

"Please?" her mom asked, ignoring Kagome's comment.

Kagome rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Just one," she warned. She went over to Inu-yasha, grabbed his arm, and led in inside. Inu-yasha didn't resist but he was a little uneasy. Kagome led him to a bare wall for a background. She slipped her arm around his torso and leaned her head against his chest. Taking his lead from her, Inu-yasha drapped his arm around her shoulder. They were both surprised to feel that it felt right to be so close together.

"Make it quick," she growled, annoyed about the inconvenience. Mrs. Higurashi smiled and held the camera to her eye.

"Smile!" she said a tad too cheerfully. Kagome smiled sweetly and Inu-yasha's smile turned into more of a smirk when he felt Kagome tense at her mother's behavior. "Perfect!" she exclaimed and took a few more shots.

"Hey!" Kagome shouted, pulling away from Inu-yasha. "I said just one!" This time when Kagome tried to take the camera, she succeeded.

Kagome's mom just smiled. She got her pictures, she was happy. She then grabbed the two of them by their arms and led them to the door. "Alright, you two have fun now. Kagome, try to be back by eleven at the latest, it is a school night." Mrs. Higurashi nudged them to the door.

Kagome grabbed her purse and said with a slight roll of her eyes, "Yes Mom." As soon as the door closed shut, Inu-yasha couldn't hold it anymore and laughed. Kagome growled and said, "It's not funny." She was blushing from embarrassment but once again she was using anger as a disguise.

Inu-yasha laughed, "That right there is something _my _mom would do."

"She normally doesn't do that," Kagome stated as she began to walk down the stairs with Inu-yasha following.

When the two got to the car, Inu-yasha politely opened the door for her, got in on his side, and they were off.

xXx

_Zake _was only a few miles from school, in the middle of two strip malls. Actually, Inu-yasha passed it almost everyday but he never stopped by to try the food out.

When the couple got inside, they both stared in awe. There was a bar nestled in a corner where the smoking section was. In the other three corners were quiet places with a white leather couch and an end table, some populated with magazines. Right in the middle were a few couples dancing to some slow songs that played softly overhead. Every where else were small tables set for two, a couple for three or four, each with a single candle placed in the middle. The dimmed lights doubled with candle light created a mysterious but romantic aura. It was a place for relaxation and peace as well as romance.

"Wow," Kagome breathed. "It's wonderful."

Inu-yasha smiled. Just like his mom said, 'she'll love it'. Just then a waiter in black clothes and a white apron approached them.

"Welcome to _Zake_," he said polietly. "Business is slow tonight so I can give you a table now." The man lead them to a small table in the back close to the back exit.

Even after the two ordered their drinks, they still looked around the place. After a while, Kagome turned and smiled widely at Inu-yasha. "I love it. Thank you."

Inu-yasha smirked and said, "Told you you'd love it."

Kagome picked up and scanned her menu. She gasped. "My god, this food is more expensive than _Sakura_!"

Inu-yasha, curious, picked up his menu also. "You're right, it is," he said nonchalantly. When he saw her uneasy face, he said quickly, "Don't worry about it. I'm paying of course."

"But that sure is a lot for just one meal," she said grimly.

Inu-yasha grinned and said, "I'll worry about the bill."

Although she was still unsure, Kagome eventually picked lemoned chicken topped with mazerella, a ceaser salad, and a baked potato. Inu-yasha went with the seafood dish, complete with lobster tail, marinated shrimp, and crab cakes. When their drinks came, they ordered and their food came a short while after that. They were asked to pay for it then, so they would be free to just leave when they wanted to. Inu-yasha did so and gave them a generous tip, knowing that the food was too much for them to want dessert.

Inu-yasha sipped his drink and said playfully, "So, do think that I maybe just a little bit won you over? I mean to the point that you don't hate me anymore?"

Kagome chuckled softly after she finished a bite of her chicken and said, "I never hated you, Inu-yasha. You just assumed I did."

"Well, wouldn't you if I kept glaring at you?" Inu-yasha asked, recalling all the times Kagome had either glared or ignored him. He popped a shrimp into his mouth.

Kagome chuckled again and said, "No, I'd think that it just meant you wanted me to leave you alone. But you didn't think that. You just kept bothering me."

"Aren't you glad I didn't leave you alone?" he asked smuggly. "You wouldn't have been able to come here." He gestured around the room.

"I'm glad I came here but that doesn't mean I didn't want you to leave me alone." She finished up her salad.

Inu-yasha sighed in confusion. "I don't get it. Why do you want me to leave you alone? I never did anything to you."

When he saw Kagome look down at the table, her almost finished food sitting there, refusing to look up at him, he wished he hadn't brought up the subject. He knew her previous relationship had something to do with it and everytime she was reminded of it, she got quiet. He wanted to know what happened, so he could fix it, whatever it was. He really hated to see her so full of pain. He wished he erase the memory away permenantly.

Inu-yasha saw Kagome bite her lower lip uncomfortably. Just then, the opening chords of _Back At One _by Brian Mcknight played. He smiled and stood up.

Kagome looked up at him. His hand was held out for her. She smiled and took it.

Inu-yasha led her to the dance floor in the middle. He wrapped his arm around her waist as she placed her hand on his shoulder. He enclosed her other hand with his own and swayed slightly with the rhythm of the song.

The two circled slowly as the song played. Inu-yasha couldn't help but think that he loved how close Kagome was. She was close enough for him to feel her warmth. It felt so right for her to be dancing next to him, her head leaning on his chest. As the chourus played, he coudn't help but notice how true it was.

One... you're like a dream come true...  
Two... just wanna be with you...  
Three... girl it's plain to see... that your the only one for me...  
Four... repeat steps one through three...  
Five... make you fall in love with me...  
If ever I believe my work is done... then I start Back at One (yeah)

Kagome pulled away from Inu-yasha's chest. The hand he had been holding slid around his neck to meet her other hand and they interlocked. She felt him slip his other arm around her waist to join the other. Inu-yasha looked into her eyes. He thought back to how much he had gone through to get to this point, and saw how much he deserved it. He gone through a lot for this girl but he liked her enough not to mind. She was one of the most stubborn girls he had met though. Most girls he won over by a day, two at the most. Kagome had taken almost two weeks. But when he thought back to it, he knew she was worth it.

Inu-yasha kept staring into her eyes. Now, he had won his kiss. Now he would claim his prize. After everything he'd been through, he could finally kiss her. He leaned down and hesitated, waiting to see if she was okay with it. When she didn't pull away, he continued his advance. Suddenly, she froze and Inu-yasha felt her instantly tense up. He pulled away, afraid he went to far. Her face was as white as a sheet and her eyes filled with terror. But she wasn't looking at him. She was looking past him, over his shoulder.

Inu-yasha turned around and saw a man in about his early twenties. He had charcoal black hair that fell in tendrils around his shoulders. His dark eyes seemed to pierce the waitress that greeted him. He wore a dark business suit and carried a brown briefcase.

Inu-yasha turned around to ask Kagome if she knew him but she wasn't there. He panicked and swept his eyes around the room. He finally spotted her at their table, grabbing her purse and heading out the back exit. Gritting his teeth, Inu-yasha darted to their table, threw his jacket on, and ran after her. He burst through the back door and soon spotted her running across the street onto a grassy block where a small park was. Benches dotted the area as well as trees but there wasn't many people around, considering the fact that it was pretty dark by now. But Inu-yasha took no notice. He sprinted after Kagome, calling her name in hopes that she would stop and turn around.

He caught up with her in the middle of the small park, grabbed her arm and yanked her to a stop. "Kagome, what's--"

"Let go!" she shouted as she tried to free herself from his grasp. Inu-yasha didn't obey. "I said let go!" she shouted again and wretched her arm from him. She took off running again but Inu-yasha easily caught her arm again, causing her to drop her purse.

"What's wrong?" Inu-yasha demanded.

Kagome's tears clouded her vision but she still yelled at him. "Dammit Inu-yasha, let go!" He refused and instead tried to pull her closer. She pushed him roughly away. "Go away! It's all your fault! You should have listened to me from the begining and left me alone! But you didn't!" Inu-yasha was scared now. He had never seen her like this and it was scaring him shitless. She continued to yank on her arm, desperate to get away from him.

"Kagome--"

"Dammit Inu-yasha! I said let go! You don't listen! I told you to leave me alone! I told you to go away! But you _don't listen_!" Inu-yasha desperately tried to think of a way to calm her down. She twisted her arm in an attempt to get away from him, but his grip was too strong. "Let go!" she shouted again. "I mean it Inu-yasha, go a--"

Inu-yasha yanked her toward him. He grabbed her shoulders and looked into her teary eyes. Without another thought, his lips crashed onto hers, silencing her. He stayed there a moment before he pulled away. She looked at him, her puffy red eyes wide in surprise. He was suprised himself. He did it out of instinct almost. It was simply what felt right.

Suddenly Kagome burst out sobbing and leaned into the warmth of his chest. Her legs gave way and she slid down to the patchy grass, using Inu-yasha as support. She sobbed into his jacket.

He didn't remember how long they sat there. All he remembered was her quiet sobs and his hand stroking her hair.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled into his jacket.

Inu-yasha didn't answer, just continued to hold her, daring anyone to take her from him.

**XxX**

**And that's Chapter 14! Now, I know I said this would be the last chapter but that obviously isn't the case. I was supposed to put Kagome's explaination in this chapter but it's already too long. So that's what you have to look forward in the next chapter! That and the end... Sigh... I'm going to miss this story. I don't know about ya'll but I'm not really looking forward to the end. I have liked writing this story... Anyway, so yea, Kagome's going to explain everything in the next chapter. I know you guys have been dying to know what's happened! I didn't tell until the very end. **

**Speaking of the end, I think this chapter has too much drama in the end. My story is supposed to be humorous and it doesn't seem like the drama fits... Of course, anyone who's seen Madea knows that humor and drama can go together perfectly, LOL! Anyway, tell me what you think about this chapter. See ya next time!**

**Hiko18**


	15. Chapter 15: The Project

**!WARNING! Just to be safe, this chapter is rated M. !WARNING!**

**Previously on "The Project":**

_He didn't remember how long they sat there. All he remembered was her quiet sobs and his hand stroking her hair._

_"I'm sorry," she mumbled into his jacket. _

_Inu-yasha didn't answer, just continued to hold her, daring anyone to take her from him._

**Chapter 15**

**The Project**

Kagome sucked on her straw. Thick blue liquid flowed to her mouth, turning her teeth and lips dark azure. Her mascara was streaked and she had on Inu-yasha's big red and white jacket. Inu-yasha studied her face as she experienced a slight brain freeze. His lips were tight. He was dying to know what caused her to behave the way she did but he decided to calm her down first with one of his favorite flavors of slurpees and a walk around Reanu Park. After her break-down, she only nodded at his suggestion.

As they walked, she took another sip of her slurpee. Inu-yasha had one too but he hadn't touched it, the melted liquid already cumulating on the bottom. He had had full intention of drinking it but he seemed to forget all about it when he saw Kagome's eyes.

Kagome suddenly slowed down to a stop close to a park picnic table. She went over to it and sat down on the top portion of the table, her feet resting on the seating part, and Inu-yasha followed. He was being very patient with her and for that she was grateful. She would tell him her story now. He deserved it after everything she had put him through.

Kagome sighed and moved closer to Inu-yasha in an effort to keep in the warm. It was a chilly fall night indeed.

She inhaled and exhaled deeply. "I'm sorry," she said. "I don't know where to start."

"The beginning is always a good place," Inu-yasha suggested with a playful smile.

"It's a long story," she warned.

Inu-yasha grinned and said, "Despite what you and others think, I _can _be patient."

Kagome smiled too but soon got serious. She took a deep breathe as she prepared to tell her story. "I guess I should tell you why I... reacted the way I did just now." She hesitated shortly before continuing. "The man you saw by the door is my ex-boyfriend, Naraku." She didn't look at Inu-yasha. If she did, she might chicken out and not say everything that needed to be said. Instead Kagome focused her gaze on the bright full moon that shown overhead. She leaned back on her palms as she remembered the memory that had haunted her for two years.

"I first met Naraku a week or two before I started high school," Kagome began. "I was fourteen and he told me he was seventeen. He had failed freshman year so he was a junior instead of a senior." Inu-yasha remembered that the man he had seen looked to be about nineteen or twenty, so that made sense.

"I distinctly remember that I thought he didn't look attractive in the least bit. He just looked too dark to me. Almost every other girl I knew said he was mysterious, not dark." Kagome snorted and then continued. "I also remember how much of a pervert he was. I had talked to him for no more than thirty seconds and he had already tried everything he could to get closer to me."

"Why didn't you tell him to back off?" Inu-yasha asked softly but with emotion. That creep put his hands on her within seconds of knowing her? He wanted to punch him already.

"I was too shy to tell him outright to back off, though I wish I had…" Her voice trailed off. To fill her silence, she took a sip of her slurpee.

"I had seen him at school but I hardly talked to him," Kagome continued, taking sips of her slurpee periodically. "I didn't like them for it, but my friends set me up and the next thing I knew, I was going to a party with him. After that, it was understood with everyone at school that we were dating. I didn't want to be dating him, but I was too shy and thought it would be rude to dump him after only a few days of 'going out' so I kept quiet." Kagome thought of all the times she had 'kept quiet' with regret. "I wish I had said something sooner."

Inu-yasha looked at her with a question in his eyes. What was she hinting at?

Kagome took another sip and stared at the moon with an unwavering gaze. "It wasn't long after we started going out that I found him selling and using drugs." Inu-yasha's eyes widened but he kept quiet. "I didn't like it one bit and would have told him so and dumped him on the spot. But he got to me first. He caught me staring at the bag of drugs in his hand and dragged me to a nearby room. He used every threat in the book to explain to me that if I ever told anyone, I'd regret it. I didn't doubt that for a second. Naraku was one to always hold true to his promises. I never found out why he cared if I told or not. His mother died when he was five and his dad _helped_ him sell the drugs so it wasn't like he was hiding it from his parents. He never told me why and I didn't dare ask.

"One day at a noisy party, when I accidentally wandered into the room he was selling in, he took me into another room and slapped me."

Inu-yasha felt his blood boil but he could see that if he interrupted her now, she'd never finish.

"I was shocked at first and then he slapped me again. He threatened to frame me and get me put in jail if I told anyone what I had seen. He told me to stop snooping around. I hadn't been but I didn't try to argue with him. After he threw me mercilessly across the room, he left me there. I had to walk home that night. It was the first, and nicest, of the many beatings I received from him." Kagome fell silent and sipped the blue liquid.

This was the hard part, the part that really scared her. All the memories of Naraku's beatings came back to her, relentless and overwhelming. Tears began to make a wet trail down her face but she continued on. "The abuse got worse and worse over the course of the year I was with him. He… He even raped me a few times." Inu-yasha looked livid as she said it. The guy was going to hell if he ever got his hands on him. "I was just too scared to get out of it, and I had no idea how. He made threats that I was sure he would carry out. I began wearing larger clothes to hide the scratches and bruises he gave me. People at school either ignored how quiet I became or didn't do anything about it. I didn't know what to do…" She gave way to quiet sobs and Inu-yasha immediately put his arms comfortingly around her. He was having a hard time restraining his anger. This guy abused and raped her. He truly wanted to kill him for it.

She spoke into Inu-yasha's warm chest. "I noticed that Naraku really only sold at parties. The chaos was a good cover-up most of the time since no on really paid attention anyway. After a year of this hell, I was finally freed of his cruel grasp by pure luck. The party we were at was at a very rich house and was so noisy that the next-door neighbors called the cops on us. In the process of trying to quiet down the out-of-hand party, the police uncovered Naraku's secret. Apparently, he had been making a big deal that night because he had almost an entire trunk-full of cocaine. They found all of it and arrested him on the spot. All the threats of putting the blame on me didn't work because it was all in _his_ car and I was no where near him the whole party. A court date a little while later sentenced him to some time in rehab. It would've been jail but his lawyer managed to convince the judge that his actions were due to depression and severe family problems. It was true that he had issues in his family, but it wasn't a valid reason to me."

After a moment, Kagome left the comfort of Inu-yasha's arms and wiped her eyes with Inu-yasha's jacket sleeve. She felt somewhat guilty for having his warm jacket all to herself when she was sure he was freezing his ass off. But she also knew that he was too proud to let her know that. Her finger found its way to the hood string and twirled it as she spoke again.

"I met Sango about the same time I met Naraku. We were good friends for a while but when Naraku started abusing me, he also isolated me from my friends so I couldn't get too close to someone and expose his secret. Although we had stopped talking, Sango knew there was something different and very wrong in my life. I felt like she was the only one who could see the difference in me. She found out what had been happening to me after court. She felt guilty for not speaking up on my behalf and has been overprotective of me since. I didn't risk talking to her when I was with Naraku though because he somehow always knew my schedule and seemed to be able to find me anywhere and find out who I was with." Kagome frowned ruefully and said, "I guess that's how he found me this time."

"But didn't you live in Colorado before here?" Inu-yasha asked. "That's half-way around the country."

"I know," Kagome said miserably. "I had always been afraid he would hunt me down. I thought I had covered my tracks carefully. I went as far away from him as I could and made sure I moved to a place where no one knew me." She paused and then looked at Inu-yasha with a pained look. "That's why I didn't want to date you or get to know you, Inu-yasha. I knew you were the son of the owner of a famous business and it would only make it easier for Naraku to find me if he saw my picture or name in the newspaper or magazine. I figured it best to keep to myself and not get to know anyone on the popular side. That's why I'm so quiet at school."

Suddenly, it all made sense to Inu-yasha. She had turned him down because she didn't want to become publicized. She hid her seductive body with baggy clothes to attract less attention. She was quiet because she hoped to be invisible and never be found by her ex-boyfriend. But something didn't add up and it nagged at Inu-yasha.

"I don't get it," he said carefully. "Why would he want to come after you if you already told everything that needed to be told in the court?"

Kagome looked away so he couldn't see the guilty look on her face. "I… I didn't say anything about the times he raped me. I figured people would have thought it was okay since we were going out. I didn't even tell Sango. I thought she might want me to tell the courts and I was afraid no one would believe me."

Inu-yasha was increasingly aware of how little she trusted everyone. She always thought no one would believe her. But there was something in her eye that troubled him. She still looked guilty, which was understandable since she probably felt she should have said something about her terrors. But it was different. She didn't want to look at him.

"Kagome," he said softly. She turned to him and in a flash, he realized she was hiding something from him. "What else didn't you tell?" he asked, sure that that was it. Suddenly she was raked with sobs. Inu-yasha's eyes widened in alarm. "Kagome? What's wrong?" She didn't answer and kept crying. Inu-yasha tried to comfort her but she couldn't seem to stop.

Inu-yasha waited patiently with his arms around her. Kagome felt safer than ever in his arms and she knew why. She trusted him. She had to tell him, but it wasn't going to be easy.

"I… I knew this kid named Sukaru," she said after she had quieted down. "We weren't really friends but I had seen him at school often. He was a really quiet kid." She thought back to that night that would remain in her memories forever.

xXx _Flashback (Kagome's point of view)_ xXx

I looked around the atmosphere and found it utterly disgusting. I hated these kinds of parties when everyone was drunk beyond imagination. Half the girls were vomiting all over the place with drunken boys laughing. _How was that funny_, I wondered. The air was thick with smoke and the most repugnant smell… I didn't even want to figure out what it was, although I probably could have.

A green girl vomited right at my feet. She only missed my shoes by an inch. That was the last straw. I wanted to leave, but Naraku was my only way home. My eyes clouded with fear from the memories of the eight months of hell I'd been going through because of him, but after I saw the girl vomit again, I didn't care. Anything was better than being here.

I picked my way through kissing couples, empty beer cans, and passed out teens. I could feel myself getting very close to sick. I saw a sliding glass door and made a bee-line for it.

_Fresh air!_ I thought as soon as I stepped into the cool night air. After taking a few more breathers, I prepared to venture back in to find Naraku.

Suddenly, I heard voices. They seemed to be getting louder, like they were arguing. I inched toward the side of the house until I could hear what they were saying.

"I swear to you, if you don't give me my fucking money, I'll blow your fucking head to hell," a menacing voice snarled. My eyes widened. I'd recognize that tone and that voice anywhere. Naraku.

"I said I'm sorry, I'll get it tomorrow," a pleading voice answered. It took me a moment but I recognized it as a boy named Sukaru. He was always so quiet. I never even dreamed he would be mixed up with someone like Naraku. But then again, I'm sure everyone wouldn't think I'd get mixed up with him either…

"We agreed you'd give it to me tonight," Naraku's voice bounced down the walls to my ears. "You have a lot of fucking nerve to show up here without it."

Sukaru seemed to be getting annoyed and his next remark was on the smug side. "Actually, I did have it but some kids found it in my car and took it. I'm sure they're telling the police by now."

I heard the unmistakable sound of a gun cocking. My eyes widened. Out of instinct, I ran around the corner. Naraku had Sukaru pinned against the side of the house. He was holding onto his shirt collar with his other hand pointing a gun at his head.

"Naraku!" I screamed hysterically, my eyes unbearably large with fear for Sukaru's life… and my own. I couldn't even imagine what Naraku would do to me since I had interfered. "Don't do it!" I screamed.

He turned and looked at me surprised but kept the gun pointed at the boy. I would never ever forget what happened next.

Naraku smirked, backed away from the boy… and fired. Sukaru fell to the ground in a heap instantly, blood pooling around his body and streaming out of the circular hole in his head. My legs gave way and I fell to the ground in astonishment. Tears streamed down my face. I didn't know that boy but my heart still went out to him.

Naraku looked at the body for a moment, groaned slightly when he saw that blood had gotten on his shirt and then moved toward me. I was frozen with fear. He was a cold-blooded killer. He wouldn't hesitate to kill me too.

Naraku stood looking down at me. He bent down and grabbed my chin and faced me toward him. "You see that?" he asked. I didn't even nod. "That was all your fault." I blinked at him. "If you hadn't surprised me, my hand wouldn't have slipped and fired." I stared at him in complete fear. I saw him. He _smirked _before he fired. I didn't do anything but try to prevent it. Unfortunately, the outcome would have been the same if I interfered or not. But I understood what he was saying. He would blame me if I had ever told anyone. That's probably why he didn't kill me too. Even if someone did find out, he could just put the blame on me and get away with only a light sentence in court.

Naraku stood up and said, "Remember this Kagome. This is what happens when you get on my bad side. You're getting dangerously close to it with all this snooping around you've been doing. Upset me again, and I'll have no choice."

I nodded numbly, mostly to please him. I hated him more than ever now, if that was even possible. He killed that boy out of cold blood over a little money. I couldn't believe it and I didn't doubt I would share the same fate as Sukaru if I told anyone. But I'd never forget the scene. Not in a million years.

xXx _End Flashback_ xXx

Inu-yasha stared at Kagome in complete astonishment and horror. She had just finished her story. It was definitely a valid reason to be scared Naraku would come back for her.

"Right after that, Naraku changed his clothes in his car and went back to the party with me in tow. He had to create an alibi so it wouldn't seem too suspicious that we left right after the gunshot. By then, everyone what frantic about the gunshot, even though most of them were so drunk they weren't sure what a gun was. Naraku acted as surprised and horrified as everyone else at the party when they found his body. I couldn't even manage to speak to anyone. I had witnessed it first hand.

"Somehow, no one ever traced it back to Naraku.," Kagome continued. "Nobody ever would have guessed Sukaru was connected to him. He was so quiet and talked to almost no one. I was the only one who knew the truth about his death. I should have told someone, anybody. But I was scared to death of Naraku. Besides, I didn't think anyone would believe me. If I told but they didn't believe me and they told Naraku about it… I would've ended up like Sukaru." Kagome shuddered and fell silent.

Inu-yasha regarded her seriously. "So I'm the only one who knows?"

Kagome nodded. She hadn't even told Sango. "Even after he was put in rehab, I couldn't tell. I knew he wouldn't stay there for forever. He could always come after me after he was released. I wish I had told the whole story the first time in court. Maybe he would have been sentenced to life in jail instead of just rehab. If that had happened, I wouldn't still be so scared of him.

"I didn't think they'd let him out after a year though. After all he did, I was sure they would keep him longer, which was why I was so surprised to see him at the restaurant." She sighed. "Now it doesn't matter if I tell you. He already found me and he must of some intention of confronting me now that he knows I'm here." It wasn't guaranteed that he knew she was there since he didn't see her at _Zake_ but if he was in town, he must at least suspect she was here.

Inu-yasha's eyes widened. "You mean you're just going to let him do what he wants when he finds you?" With a secret like murder in her knowledge, Naraku must have something very close to death in his mind for her. What better way to keep it a secret than getting rid of the one person who knew?

Tears streaked down her face. "I don't know. Inu-yasha, what am I supposed to do?"

Inu-yasha said firmly, "You can't run for forever. Even if you get away from him this time, he'll find you again like he found you this time. You have to get rid of this problem once and for all."

Kagome looked at him fearfully. She was afraid of this. It was why she didn't tell Sango. Inu-yasha wanted her to tell the courts about the murder but it was exactly what she didn't want to do. What if Naraku's lawyer turned the tables just like he wanted and she ended up in jail instead? If he didn't end up in jail for life without bail then she'd be scared for forever.

"I can't," she said.

Inu-yasha frowned. "Why not?"

"What will happen if it doesn't work out and he manages to put the blame on me at court just like he said he would? What then?"

Inu-yasha hugged her tightly and said, "That won't happen. I swear it won't."

"How do you know?" Kagome asked, her tears staining his silver hair.

"You have people that love you," Inu-yasha said when he pulled away to look into her eyes. _Myself included_, he thought but didn't say out loud. "We're not going to let something like that happen, not in a million years. You said you are always afraid of people not believing you but that's just what Naraku wants you to believe so you won't ever tell anyone. You just told me and I trust you completely, and I've only known you for two weeks. Sango has known you for two years, she'll trust you. And your family would never think you would lie about something like this." Inu-yasha pulled her closer again and whispered, "Don't worry. You're safe."

Kagome's tears fell freely. It made so much sense the way he put it. It was true; Naraku had just wanted her to think no one would believe her. She felt like a fool for not thinking about it the way Inu-yasha had spelled it out sooner. And in Inu-yasha's arms, she felt safer than she had ever been.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Inu-yasha smiled tenderly and stroked her hair. She trusted him enough to reveal her darkest secrets. He had discovered what had kept her from going out with him. His project was a success. But he realized as he thought about it that it wasn't really about the project. He wanted to know himself, not because he had made a goal that year to gain her heart. He had always been curious about her, not just because of the project.

Inu-yasha pulled away and stood up from the picnic table. After stretching, he offered his hand to her. She took it without hesitation. They began to walk, sipping the remainder of their slurpees, and watching the fire flies blink in and out of existence.

"I want to show you something," Inu-yasha said suddenly. "It's Miroku's and my favorite spot in this park." Inu-yasha led her to a large willow tree and helped her climb up it. She was uneasy about it at first but with Inu-yasha to guide her, she made it up without issues. They went almost to the very top before he stopped. He went first and sat on a large branch big and flat enough for him to sit down Indian style without trouble. He had Kagome sit in his lap.

"Look there," he whispered and pointed at a large gap in the branches. It framed the full moon and the night sky perfectly. The silver glow cast an eerie shadow on the couple.

"Wow," Kagome breathed. She always loved the full moon. It always seemed to make her feel strangely calm.

"Look there too," Inu-yasha said. He pointed at the empty park. It looked perfect with the moon's glow lighting it up and the fire flies helping. A smile took over Kagome's face as she stared.

Inu-yasha wrapped his arms around her stomach to keep her from falling and Kagome leaned into his embrace. Inu-yasha's head was nestled in between her shoulder and head. The couple stayed in that spot for a moment, completely comfortable with being so close to one another and sharing the moment with each other.

Kagome pulled away slightly to face him. She smiled and said, "Thank you for everything. For dinner, listening to my story, trusting me, and showing me this."

Inu-yasha grinned back and said, "My pleasure."

Kagome looked into his amber orbs a moment longer and then leaned closer. He met her lips halfway with his own. She granted his tongue access almost instantly and it darted in and explored her mouth thoroughly.

When they pulled way later, gasping for air, they smiled at one another and cuddle closer for a few more perfect moments.

Their night was ended by the realization at what time it was. It as five minutes after eleven when they checked they time. Aware of his promise to her mother to get her daughter home by eleven, Inu-yasha sped her home.

"Thanks again, Inu-yasha," Kagome said with a warm smile as they stood at her front door. She kissed him one more time before she disappeared into the house.

Inu-yasha walked down the stairs, into his car, all the way home, and into his fluffy bed with his head in the clouds, thinking about Kagome.

xXx

Something… was very wrong. Inu-yasha knew it even before he opened his eyes to be greeted by the morning light. He had a gut feeling that something was out of place, like a weight was all over his body.

Inu-yasha finally opened his eyes. Although he had been hoping it wasn't, his gut feeling was right. All he saw was white when he opened his eyes. It was all over his body. And one taste told him what it was: whipped cream.

Inu-yasha sat up quickly and threw his legs out of the bed. He dashed to his bathroom and gazed at his reflection. At least he thought it was his reflection. He was covered from head to toe in whipped cream. There wasn't a single feature in his face he could distinguish. He couldn't tell what was hair and what was whipped cream. He didn't even know if he had any clothes on under the thick layer of white.

Inu-yasha breathed deeply several times to calm himself, but it didn't work. "SESSHOMARU!" he shrieked. He didn't know if it was him but he was the first person who came in mind. Inu-yasha wouldn't do anything back to him since Sesshomaru knew his secret about tepeeing Kagome's house and his brother knew that. He wouldn't even risk putting his blackmail picture on the internet for fear of Kagome finding out his secret.

Inu-yasha flew down the hall to his brother's room. The door was locked. Of course. "Sesshomaru, you bastard, open the door!" He banged on the door with his fist.

To his surprise, Sesshomaru actually opened it, looking slightly disoriented after his rude awakening.

"What the fuck! Why did you do this?" Inu-yasha shouted into his face.

It took a while for his brother to figure out where he was and then he saw the damage to Inu-yasha. He laughed loudly in his face. "What the hell happened to you?"

"You happened to me! You know I'm going to get you back for this!" Inu-yasha said it but he knew he couldn't carry out his threat. Even after the night before, he didn't want to risk Kagome knowing his secret. No telling what she would do to him.

Sesshomaru blinked. "Get me back for what? I didn't do that to you, although I should have thought about it."

Inu-yasha prepared to make another threat when he stopped. It wasn't Sesshomaru? If it was, he would have admitted it already, just to see the look on his face, so it couldn't have been him… So who was it?

Realization hit him. Miroku. He still hadn't gotten Inu-yasha back for what he had done to his room. He only just thought about it.

Inu-yasha groaned and went back to his room. There was an Inu-yasha-shaped whole in his bed from where he had been sleeping. There were even cherries here and there. Only his bed was covered but it was enough to make anger burn throughout Inu-yasha's whole body. Yes, he deserved it but he was still mad as hell.

With full intention of yelling Miroku's ear off when he saw him, Inu-yasha showered and got dressed for school.

xXx

Miroku's laughter from Inu-yasha's description of what happened that morning was only just receding when the bell rang for the school day to begin. Inu-yasha thought about Kagome all day and could hardly wait to see her. They agreed to meet after school so they could walk together to her house. He still didn't see her much during school since her classes were still switched but he didn't mind as long as he got to see her after school.

Miroku was able to do the spying on Sesshomaru the previous day so they gave Kagura all the information she needed that morning. Inu-yasha hoped that Sesshomaru would be too busy dealing with her to remember to tell Kagome his secret. Since Kagome was as good as his girlfriend by now, he didn't have to worry about that bet he made with Souta. Inu-yasha had (reluctantly) forgiven Miroku for his prank. There was nothing he could do about it.

Even though he had eliminated many problems, Inu-yasha had a strange gut feeling he was forgetting something very important, and so far, they had always been right. By the end of the day, he still hadn't figured out what was nagging at him.

He soon forgot about it when he met with Kagome. The two were going to walk straight to her house but then detoured and went to Reanu Park instead. Inu-yasha bought the two of them a slurpee and a candy bar each.

"When do you think I'll have to face Naraku again?" Kagome asked suddenly while they were walking back to her house. Inu-yasha had been keeping the conversation light so they wouldn't hit a sore subject but it seemed she wanted to talk about it.

"I don't know," Inu-yasha said truthfully. "I'll be there with you when you do though, so don't worry about it. I'll kick his ass back to Colorado before he puts a hand on you." He said it with his trademark smirk and over-confident attitude which made Kagome laugh.

"But you can't be with me 24/7 you know… What happens if Naraku catches me when you're not around?" Kagome asked with a hint of fear.

"It won't happen," he said confidently. "I always have a gut feeling when something's wrong. If I feel it, I'll be by your side before you can snap your fingers, and even faster if you do." He took a smug slurp of his drink.

His unending confidence made her smile and feel safe. But it made her blush. The thought of Inu-yasha running to her side whenever she wanted sent chills up her spine. To hide her now apparent blush, she joked, "You'd be my little lap dog? I'll work you to the bone." Inu-yasha frowned at the thought. Kagome laughed and added, "If you're good I'll fix you a big bowl of ramen."

Inu-yasha immediately brightened, causing Kagome to laugh again.

They reached her house by now, but Inu-yasha wanted to spend more time with her.

"Can I take you out tomorrow?" he asked a little nervous when they reached her front door. It was Saturday the next day so they'd have the whole day together if they wanted.

Kagome smiled and said, "Of course." Now that Inu-yasha knew her secret, there was no point in avoiding him. Naraku was bound to find her eventually if they were living in the same town, so there was no point in hiding anymore. Besides, if things did take a turn for the worst, she wanted to spend as much time with him as she could.

The two had just leaned in for a kiss, the front door swung open and revealed Kagome's little brother.

"Ugh, get a room," Souta complained, thoroughly disgusted. The two jumped and stepped away from each other with blushes hot on their cheeks. They had no reason to hide it but it would be weird, not to mention inappropriate, to kiss in front of her little brother.

Suddenly, Souta looked depressed. "Hey wait, does this mean I can't tell her now?" he whined.

It took him a while but Inu-yasha realized Souta was talking about his secret of tepeeing Kagome's house. He gave him a death stare, an apparent sign that warned him to drop the subject.

Kagome raised an eyebrow at the two of them. They were hiding something from her, she knew it. "What are you talking about?"

Before Inu-yasha could protest, Souta blurted, "I can't tell you that he was the one who tepeed our house, and it's all because you two hooked up before six weeks. We made a bet and I lost. Now I have to keep that secret for forever…" As he realized what he'd done, he trailed off, having seen Inu-yasha's face. It was as murderous as Kagome's.

"He _what_?" Kagome demanded, flames licking her pupils.

Souta shrunk under their gazes. This was going to get ugly. Without waiting another millisecond, he twirled around and darted into the house. Inu-yasha didn't hesitate to chase after him.

"'I love you' my ass!" Inu-yasha shouted at him, referring to the time Souta had mocked him and said 'I love you big brother'. "You did that on purpose!"

"I swear it was on accident!" Souta pleaded while jumping over the living room couch.

"You don't do something like that 'on accident'!" Inu-yasha yelled while chasing him around the coffee table.

By now Kagome had joined in on the chase. "Inu-yasha, you bastard! You didn't tell me! You lied to me!"

Inu-yasha skidded to a halt and turned to face her. "I didn't lie to you. I just didn't speak up. There's a difference."

"No there isn't!" Kagome shouted. She was inches from his face and trying to look taller to intimidate him but Inu-yasha still had a good few inches on her. "I can't believe you would do that to me!" She stormed out of the living room with Inu-yasha following her, pleading. Souta had already made a speedy get-away and was in his room with the door locked. He had taken full advantage of Inu-yasha's distraction.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do it to you," Inu-yasha said as Kagome stomped toward her room. "If I had known it was your house, I wouldn't have done it. I helped clean it up too."

"The point is that you did it," she replied with displeasure. "It doesn't matter whose house it is. It's still a mean thing to do."

Inu-yasha looked helpless. How could he explain to her his 'prank feelings'? Would she even believe him? Doubtful.

"I said I was sorry, doesn't that count for anything?" Inu-yasha asked just as Kagome reached her door.

Kagome turned to face him at the frame of the door. She looked like she was about to shout his ear off and give him a lecture, which was exactly what she intended to do. But of course, his pleading puppy dog face threw her off. Her features softened and she sighed irritably. Once again, he had won.

"Alright, fine," she growled reluctantly. Inu-yasha grinned smugly, proud his charm had done the trick once again, although he had been sure it wouldn't save his ass this time.

Inu-yasha collected her in a warm embrace. Kagome reluctantly hugged him back, muttering something about 'stupid puppy-dog pout' and 'not fair'. She pulled away and then gave him a dark look. "Don't think for a second I'm not going to get you back." She turned to go into her room. Inu-yasha was just about to leave when her words sunk in.

"Hey wait, didn't you just say it was wrong?" he accused. He followed her into her room. She had been heading to her bed but turned to face him.

Kagome nodded. "But that doesn't mean I'm not going to do it. Don't worry, I'll get you back. You and Miroku, since I'm sure he helped you."

Normally, Inu-yasha would have denied that last part to save his friend, but he was curious as to what she would do. He wondered if they had more in common than he had thought. He also wanted to know what kinds of pranks she was capable of. Besides, this was his payback for that morning. Now Miroku had to suffer as much as he did… that was assuming Kagome could come up with a good come back.

"What can possibly top what we did to your house?" Inu-yasha asked doubtfully but he really just wanted to know what to expect.

Kagome gave him a look that seemed to ask him if he was really that stupid. "You think I'm going to tell you? You'll just have to wait and see."

Inu-yasha suddenly pulled her closer and gave her a swift but memorable kiss. Kagome smiled when he pulled away. For a second, Inu-yasha thought he had won again and she was going to give him a hint.

"I'm still not telling," she said and sat on her bed with her arms crossed stubbornly, but a smile still on her face.

Inu-yasha frowned and sighed. "It was worth a try," he said sadly as he plopped into her bed next to her, looking defeated. Kagome laughed and gave him a memorable kiss of her own.

**xXx**

**Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. I'm SUPER late with my update. I'm so sorry guys! I wrote three different versions of this chapter before I decided on one and it still doesn't seem right. And on top of that, I _still_ didn't finish the story like I promised (three times). I was going to but I was already past six-thousand words.**

**I'm not really happy with this chapter at all, to be honest. Kagome talked and talked and talked. I tried to put Inu-yasha and details in there a little bit so it didn't seem the same but I don't think it worked. I got the story out but I didn't do it with... elegance... not sure if that's the right word but it's close enough.**

**Anyway, now that I've complained and whined about it, what do you think? Is it as bad as I think? But really, if it is, tell me what I can do. My goal is to become a better writer, not do the same mistakes over and over.**

**So in the next chapter (and hopefully last.. not going to promise this time though, lol), you have to look forward to what Kagome does to our two favorite boys. And what's this mysterious feeling Inu-yasha is having about forgetting something very important? It isn't that hard to guess... And Inu-yasha will help Kagome get rid of Naraku once and for all... hopefully. Well, hope to see you next chapter!**

**Hiko18**

**P.S. One more thing: if anyone has any questions, please ask in a review. I just know I didn't explain Kagome's story as well as most would have liked so if you are still confused in some aspects, I'll answer them in a seperate chapter (which will probably be tacked to the end of the story). Kind of like an FAQ chapter. **


	16. Chapter 16: Double Revenge

**Previously on "The Project":**

"_I'm still not telling," she said and sat on her bed with her arms crossed stubbornly, but a smile still on her face._

_Inu-yasha frowned and sighed. "It was worth a try," he said sadly as he plopped into her bed next to her, looking defeated. Kagome laughed and gave him a memorable kiss of her own._

**Chapter 16**

**Double Revenge**

After spending another hour talking with Kagome, and exchanging phone numbers since they noticed they didn't have each others' numbers, Inu-yasha drove home happy. Her ominous threat still lingered in his head. He couldn't help but wonder what she had in mind for him and Miroku. He refrained from getting his hopes up about her potential, however, so he wouldn't have to worry about being disappointed in the end. He figured he worst she would do was doodle on his locker at school.

As Inu-yasha pulled into his driveway, he noticed an extra car parked out front, a van in fact. As he entered his home, he wondered who it could possible be.

Inu-yasha stopped right in his tracks when he saw the foyer. That feeling of forgetting something that had been nagging him all day… it suddenly made sense. Decorations of all sorts adorned the banister, lights, and walls, complete with balloons, confetti, strings, and tissue paper. In his drama with Kagome, he had completely forgotten about the party his father had planned. His father hadn't even bothered to remind him either. Inutaisho probably did it on purpose too, just to catch him off guard.

Inu-yasha weaved his way through the floating balloon strings toward the kitchen where he was sure Tami would be. Instead of being greeted by Tami's usual criticism on his lack of memory, he was bombarded with two servers from the catering group. That explained the van out front. His father had paid for the service of caterers this time. The two girls apologized swiftly before going on their way to help with the decorations. No doubt they were pissed about having to help with that.

After dodging a serving tray and a salad bowl being carried by other servers, Inu-yasha finally made it to the kitchen.

"Oh my god, where have you been?" Tami exclaimed the instant she saw him push his way past a large cart holding various ingredients. "You were supposed to be here over an hour ago!"

"It's not that much time," Inu-yasha replied defensively, although in Tami's line of business, it was. He studied Tami's lightning fast reflexes manage to dodge an oncoming tray of appetizers. She went right on mixing her batter. "Why didn't you remind me about the party?" Inu-yasha accused, even though it was his own fault for forgetting in the first place.

Tami guiltily glanced at him as she added some more flour to her mixture. "You're daddy wouldn't let me," she answered simply.

"That hasn't stopped you before," Inu-yasha groaned.

"Oh, quit you're whining," Tami said sharply but with humor. "Come on, help this old lady get those spices up there." She pointed to a bottle on the top shelf of the cupboard. Inu-yasha sighed and helped her.

xXx

Kagome lay on her bed with a peaceful smile. Inu-yasha was still fresh in her mind. She wondered what they would do the next day. It had to be good to make up for what he did to her house. If the day turned out to be better than she had hoped, she might consider tuning down her pay-back prank.

She already had an idea.

Kagome was just about to call Sango on her cell phone to begin planning the prank when it rang. It was Inu-yasha.

"What did you do, forget your keys?" Kagome teased after answering. He hadn't left that long ago.

"No," Inu-yasha growled.

Kagome laughed and then said, "Okay then, what's up?"

"Well, you see…" Inu-yasha began uncertainly. Kagome raised an eyebrow, curious as to why he was so uneasy. Suddenly he said triumphantly, "I want to make a deal."

"What kind of deal?" Kagome asked warily. She wandered back into her room and lay on her bed.

"The kind where you benefit a lot and I get something small."

Although still suspicious, Kagome said, "Keep going."

"Okay, there's this small thing you have to do for me and in return, I'll take you where ever you want tomorrow. Shopping spree, ice skating, dinner, movie, _whatever_ you want."

Kagome smiled at the thought of a shopping spree but she knew Inu-yasha well enough to know that his favor most likely was something she wouldn't want to do. "What's this favor?"

Inu-yasha took a deep breath and then replied, "You have to come to my house for another party."

"What?" Kagome exclaimed. "Inu-yasha, you know what happened last time and you know how much I don't like going to parties."

"Don't worry about _him_, and what happened last time won't happen again, I can promise you that." Kikyo sure as _hell_ wasn't going to be there. Inu-yasha didn't like saying Naraku's name just as much as Kagome didn't, but he felt utterly sure that if he ever met the bastard, he'd beat him to a point beyond recognition.

"You don't know the future, how do you know something bad might happen?" The past few weeks had been so eventful it was almost inevitable that something would happen.

"Come on, Kagome," Inu-yasha pleaded, slightly irritated by her doubts. "I don't have to know the future to know that you'll be just fine."

He was met with silence and then finally a very reluctant sigh. His grin gave a way his smug triumph. "Fine," Kagome half snarled, half sighed. "I'll be over at eight." She clicked her cell closed before she could change her mind.

Several times within the next five minutes, Kagome thought about calling Inu-yasha back with an excuse not to go. The moment the word 'fine' escaped her lips, she regretted it. Not only because it only fed Inu-yasha's smug attitude and hurt her pride, but also because it didn't settle right in her stomach. The memory of what happened at the last party of Inu-yasha's was still too fresh in Kagome's mind… along with Naraku's face at _Zake_.

xXx

"I'll be over at eight." There was a click and a dial tone. Inu-yasha smiled. He hadn't expected it to be that easy. Granted, his wallet was gonna be hurting the next day, but that was okay. In truth, he liked spending money on her. It was always funny to see her reaction to the price.

Inu-yasha busied himself by helping out with the decorations, inviting more last minute people, like Sango and Miroku, and assisting Tami in the kitchen. He knew that this party would be different from the last one. There weren't going to be any teens from his school, just old family friends and maybe their kids. Kikyo didn't know about this party so it shouldn't get out of hand. It would be a lot quieter and more formal, like it should have been the first time around.

If it didn't turn out as it was supposed to, there was no telling what his father was going to do. Inu-yasha hated to use Kagome just to get out of a punishment. He felt like he was treating her like an object, instead of a living, breathing human. But he enjoyed seeing her anyway.

As Inu-yasha helped a new caterer, who was just getting used to the business, clean up a broken plate, Inutaisho breezed in and out of rooms.

"Hurry that clean-up," he snapped at Inu-yasha. He always got edgy when he was nervous, although Kagome should be more nervous than him. "The guests will be arriving in fifteen minutes."

Inu-yasha rolled his eyes in annoyance at his father's agitation. Kagome was just his girlfriend, not his bride. Why was his dad getting so worked up?

He glanced at his watch, surprised that so much time had passed and the guests were supposed to be arriving so soon. For a minute he was confused. Was his watch an hour behind, or…? He rushed into the living room to take a look at the grandfather clock. Yup, it was only 6:45. Inu-yasha ran to catch up with his dad in the foyer.

"I thought the party started at eight," Inu-yasha said cautiously.

Without glancing at him, Inutaisho replied, "It's been scheduled for seven since the beginning. Did you forget?"

"U-uh…" Inu-yasha stuttered. Just another twist his father had added just to catch him off guard, and it would only make him happier if Inu-yasha admitted he'd forgotten. Stupid old fart. "But last time it started at eight."

"Like I said," Inutaisho said impatiently as he sailed up the stairs, "it's been scheduled for seven since the beginning."

Inu-yasha stopped in the middle of the stairs while his father carried on. _Shit_, he thought. _Kagome_. She had said eight. Calling her now and telling her to come sooner was pushing it. He was lucky she even said yes the first time. He couldn't add requests when she was already doing him a favor.

Inu-yasha groaned as he grabbed his keys from the table next to the front door and his jacket from the closet. When it came to Kagome, it was better to confront things head on.

xXx

Kagome started getting ready shortly after six o'clock. She took a long shower and picked out simple black pants and a black tank top with pink trim. She refused to go all out with clothes when she was doing Inu-yasha a favor by coming. Kagome styled her hair into a loose ponytail, held together with a pink ribbon.

She still had a little over an hour to waste before she was supposed to head over to Inu-yasha's house. She wondered if she should really go through with this. She might end up regretting it, just like last time.

After pacing back and forth in her room more than several times, she realized her room wasn't big enough for her pacing or her erupting thoughts and decided to walk around her backyard garden after grabbing a blue light jacket. The scent of lilacs always calmed her.

As she pushed her way through the vines around the white archway entrance, she considered her options, hardly taking notice of where her feet were taking her.

She could blow him off, but that would be too harsh. But she wasn't too excited about going either. Kikyo's face remained in her memories like a nightmare. That girl bothered her for many reasons that Kagome wasn't sure she could explain.

But she knew she couldn't do that to Inu-yasha. His family had expected to see her at the last party but since she had run, they hadn't. She knew his family was probably disappointed and they were blaming him. She owed it to Inu-yasha to at least show her face. Besides, she kinda wanted to meet the family.

Kagome found herself going toward the center of the garden and the center lamp soon came into view. She'd thought the lilacs' scent would calm her but she didn't even notice it.

Her thoughts inevitably drifted to Naraku. Inu-yasha's reassuring words from the night before suddenly began to float away from her memory as if they had never been said.

Kagome hated what Naraku had done to her. Even though she had gotten away from him, what he did to her was always fresh in her mind. What she saw, how she felt, what he did, it would never go away. It was a hideous scar that served as a reminder of every single rotten thing Naraku had done.

Kagome stopped and stood by the lamp, taking in its familiar eerie glow.

In the beginning, she thought that he would be out of her life forever, but he was still in her thoughts almost as if he was standing right beside her. She was paranoid that he would be waiting for her around the next corner, hidden in every shadow, creeping in every alley… It hadn't taken her long to realize that she would never know peace until she knew for certain that he could never invade her life again.

And it wasn't like her paranoia had disappeared when she discovered Naraku was in her town. She was scared more than ever, and she felt like a horrible coward. It was the main reason she hated Naraku, because he made her so fucking scared. She always felt like a helpless little kitten under his gaze. If just a stare did that to her, what would happen if he actually got his hands on her?

Kagome shuddered uncontrollably from her thoughts in the dim light of the lamp post. She gripped it for support until her nerves had settled.

Suddenly, fear stabbed her like an icy dagger as a voice emitted from the shadows.

"It's been a while, Kagome Higurashi."

She would always recognize that voice. Anytime, anywhere.

xXx

"Naraku." Kagome almost choked on the word. So many thoughts, memories, and questions rushed to her head at once that she thought she'd faint.

A dark shadow emerged from the shade of the willow branches. He looked exactly like he had the night before at the restaurant with the exception of his clothes. They were pure black now, blending in perfectly with the dark of the night and the dark in his heart.

The light from the lantern played haunting shadows on his face. His smile seemed full of malice. "How have you been this past year Kagome?"

She gulped down a whimper.

"It's so nice to say your name again, Kagome." He said it slowly, savoring. "I've missed you so much. Rehab is a horrible place." Kagome's heart skipped a beat when his evil grin evaporated and gave way to a much more terrifying glare. "It's too bad you didn't join me," he said through gritting teeth. She didn't even have to see his eyes to know they were full of hatred and a yearning for revenge.

Naraku took a step closer to her. Kagome's legs seemed to be rooted in place. Naraku grinned when he saw her shaking. "It was hard to find you. Don't think I didn't see you at _Zake_ last night. But you sure picked a far away place to live." He grinned as she tried to stop a sob from coming up. "Were you that scared to run so far away?" He paused but she didn't utter a sound. She could tell he was loving this, loving the fear that seemed to drown her eyes.

"Are you scared Kagome?" He took another step toward her. "There's no reason to be scared, I'm a new man. Rehab has taught me a lot."

Kagome barely registered his words. Just his presence was making her sick. She felt like she was going to pass out any second. And it didn't help that she had just recalled all her fears of him just before he showed up. Memories came tumbling back to her. She thought she had buried them a year ago but they came back as easy as if they were just on the surface. Pain. Hurt. Fear. It was all there. Kagome felt old and new tears spring to her eyes.

She wondered if she should scream. Was this a dream? How she wished it was…

"You wanna know what I learned Kagome?" He kept saying her name like he couldn't get enough of it. It sent chills up and down her spine. "They taught me," he continued, "that smoking is bad for you."

Naraku pulled out a cigarette from his back pocket without breaking eye contact and lit it. He took a long drag then blew the smoke in Kagome's direction and took a few more steps closer to her.

"They told me that drinking alcohol could lead to dangerous consequences." He pulled a metallic canteen from his jacket pocket and took a long swig before he put it back. Kagome eyed him warily, beginning to see a pattern. He took another drag of his cig and then tossed it on the ground where he smothered it with his shoe.

Naraku went closer and blew the smoke at her. He was close enough for her to smell the alcohol in his breath and feel the smoke on her face. He leaned in closer.

"They also taught me that guns and knives could get people seriously hurt." Naraku's malicious smirk and ominous words scared Kagome's legs into petrifaction as Naraku pulled a silver metallic object out of his jacket pocket. His finger brushed past a button and a blade sprang from its curves.

xXx

Kagome's first instinct was to run but her legs wouldn't budge.

"I've wanted nothing more than revenge since I got in that fucking place," Naraku said softly as he ran his finger across the blade. "Those stupid doctors thought I was actually listening when they blabbed their mouths off. They thought they had changed me into a new man in only a year. They thought they had accomplished something." He laughed cruelly. "I was just trying to get out of there so I put up with their mouths."

Naraku looked at Kagome now. She seemed to shrink under his gaze. "I think it's time to repay you for that lovely trip, don't you?" Naraku smirked as he stepped closer to her. He was just about to thrust the knife into Kagome's chest when a shadow shot forward and punched Naraku in the jaw with a powerful right hook.

The blow surprised him and sent him a few feet back where he bumped into the lamp post. Naraku coughed and cradled his mouth with his hand. Anger blazed in his eyes as he looked up to glare at the newcomer.

"Inu-yasha!" Kagome cried in surprise and relief. She leapt to his side and pressed herself against his chest as he gave her a swift hug. "What are you doing here?"

"Exactly what I was going to ask," Naraku growled.

Ignoring the man, Inu-yasha answered Kagome. "I came to pick you up but heard him as I came to the door." He nudged Kagome away out of harm's way and turned to Naraku.

"Who the fuck do you think you are to hit me like that?" Naraku growled, angry they acted as if he were invisible.

"I'm Kagome's boyfriend. That's all you need to know… And you're Naraku, I presume, the one who made Kagome's life a living hell." Inu-yasha took a good look at him. "I swore ever since she told me what you did to her I'd make you pay." He cracked his knuckles and he tossed his jacket aside, ready for a fight. The rage inside him was almost unbearable. Was it hate?

Naraku laughed. "You believed her?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. "She was a lying little bitch when she was with me, always telling me she wasn't snooping in other people's business when she was. What makes you think she's changed?"

Kagome stood a few feet away and eyed Inu-yasha in fear. Naraku was trying to convince Inu-yasha she was lying. If Inu-yasha believed him then this situation would be far worse than it already was.

Inu-yasha rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Don't try that brainwashing bullshit on me." Kagome's eyes filled with relief.

"Brainwash?" Naraku asked in mocked astonishment. "What makes you think I'm trying to brainwash you?"

Inu-yasha sighed. "This is getting boring, you and your games."

Naraku flipped the knife in his hand, reminding Kagome of its presence. "You sure can talk a lot."

"I could say the same about you," Inu-yasha sneered.

"Heh."

The two played a game of stab-and-dodge around the small area. Meanwhile, Kagome stared at the two wide-eyed. A voice inside her head was screaming at her. She knew what it was saying. _This is your battle, not Inu-yasha's. If he gets hurt because of this, it'll be your fault. You're such a coward for letting someone else do this for you. _Kagome shook her head in an attempt to get rid of the voice but she knew the words were true.

"You have to resort to weapons?" Inu-yasha instigated Naraku after dodging another of his advances. "Coward." Kagome winced at the word, feeling like he was talking to her.

Naraku merely chuckled. "It'll make this encounter a whole lot faster. You aren't worth my time. Besides, this is between Kagome and me. You have no business to—"

"It is my business," Inu-yasha hissed angrily. "I dare you to put a hand on Kagome. Just don't get mad when you're missing a limb or two."

Naraku shook his head in annoyance. "You talk big but can you back it up?"

As the two fought, Kagome felt herself getting noxious. This whole situation was all her fault and she wasn't doing anything about it. Goddammit, her legs were still firmly planted where Inu-yasha had nudged her! That voice kept coming back and repeating the same word over and over. _Coward, coward, coward! _

She jumped when her pocket vibrated. She reached in and took out her cell phone. She had set an alarm to remind her of Inu-yasha's party in case she had forgotten. Suddenly, a thought struck her. Of course! Her phone! Her eyes determined, she punched in three numbers.

Inu-yasha finally began to tire from ducking and dodging. Because of his decreasing stamina, he got careless and Naraku was able to cut him on his left forearm and right shoulder.

Naraku managed to scrape Inu-yasha's rib cage and Inu-yasha began to think it was about time he lost that stupid knife of his. When Naraku swung his knife again, Inu-yasha sidestepped and then kicked his forearm. The blast of the hit forced Naraku's hand to release the knife. It flew straight and stuck into the willow tree's trunk, just missing the metal bench beneath it by a few inches.

Naraku cradled his arm to get the numb feeling out of it but didn't have much time because Inu-yasha decided it was his turn to do the swinging. He landed a few good punches in his rib cage, jaw, and shoulder. Naraku stumbled backwards, surprised by the force of the blows.

"I see fighting isn't exactly your area of expertise," Inu-yasha commented as Naraku struggled to regain his balance. "You rely on manipulation and threatening. I bet it normally doesn't come to this because you've got your victims so scared that they won't fight back. And when it does come to fighting, you use weapons." Naraku glared at him menacingly. Inu-yasha eyed him in disgust. "Just as I thought. Nailed it right in the bullseye, didn't I?"

Naraku clenched his fists in pure hatred for the both of them. Inu-yasha caught his eyes flicker towards his knife still stuck in the tree. It was a couple yards away but it wouldn't be too much of a hassle to retrieve.

"Go ahead and get it," Inu-yasha said. "I'll wait right here. Doesn't matter to me. Either way, you won't beat me. Remember you are half drunk."

Naraku glared and opened his mouth to say something but stopped. Inu-yasha didn't like it one bit when Naraku looked past him, over his shoulder. Inu-yasha glanced back and saw Kagome talking on her phone in a rushed voice. He looked back at Naraku and saw him reach towards his belt.

"Maybe not you," Naraku grinned maliciously, "But…"

Alarm spread throughout Inu-yasha's entire body like a wild fire. "Kagome!" She looked up from her phone call and saw Naraku pull a black gun from his belt.

She felt like she was trapped in slow motion. Her fingers lost their grip on her phone and it fell slowly to the gravel floor. His face determined, Inu-yasha ran straight for her as Naraku aimed his gun at her.

Kagome stared at Naraku. That smirk. It was the same one she had seen just before he had killed Sukaru.

Inu-yasha reached her and enclosed her in a tight hug, guarding her with his body, protecting her at any cost. His eyes were closed, ready for the impact.

_Coward_, the voice whispered softly. She smiled. It was time to end this. She needed to listen to that voice… and prove it wrong. She couldn't let Inu-yasha get hurt because of her. Like the voice said, this wasn't his battle. Besides, would life be worth living if you knew the one you loved died because of you? No, it wouldn't.

Kagome hugged Inu-yasha back tightly. A smile was still on her face when she twirled Inu-yasha around with surprising force, switching their positions in an instant. Panic rose in Inu-yasha's chest but it was too late. She turned around to face Naraku just as he pulled the trigger.

Kagome shriek when a bullet pierced her chest. She couldn't tell where it had entered but the pain was excruciating. But she knew in an instant that she had no regrets. She'd never want this kind of pain for Inu-yasha.

And as much pain as she felt, she knew she could finally release that breath she had been holding for a year. This moment had been what she had feared that whole time. Naraku coming back for her for revenge, maybe killing her… It was happening now. But she didn't feel that fear that had always been so intense before. She had always been scared she'd lose her life but it was no longer her priority. Inu-yasha was more important. Now she had no reason to fear Naraku.

xXx

"Kagome!" Inu-yasha cried as her body slumped against his. He slid to the gravel holding her body, tears already springing to his eyes. "Kagome!" He turned her on her back and didn't care when her blood stained his hands and clothes as he tore her shirt off her chest to inspect the bullet's entryway. It was located right above her bra, just about where her heart would be. Tears spilling down his face, he cried her name again and again and kissed her hair and cheeks.

Naraku stared. He hadn't expected her to do that. His shock had stalled him from addressing Inu-yasha, but now that he had recovered, he said, "Look at all that blood." He shook his head as if in pity as he took a step closer. "Sure will be hard to pin that on me. You know, with her blood all over _you_." Inu-yasha slowly looked up at him. His look was murderous.

"You fucking bastard! You killed her!" Inu-yasha jumped up, his rage radiating off his body. "Don't try to pin this bull_shit_ on me!" It was exactly what he had done to Kagome when he'd threatened to pin Sukaru's death on her.

Shock overwhelmed Inu-yasha's body as he thought of her name. _Is she really gone?_ He looked down at her. She remained unmoving. He felt his legs go weak. He was just about to collapse when Naraku smirked, "She's gone. Get over it. Believe me, I did you a favor by killing her."

Inu-yasha felt new strength run through his limps and clenched his fist. Just before he was about to charge at the bastard, he heard a moan. He instantly dropped to Kagome's side. "Kagome? Kagome! Are you okay?" Frustration built up when she remain unresponsive. "Say something, dammit!" He dropped his head and let the tears fall.

Suddenly she moved. Inu-yasha and Naraku stared in utter shock as she struggled to stand up.

She achieved her goal and stood before the two, dirty and bloody, but standing.

"Kagome," Inu-yasha whispered as he stood up too. "Don't use all your strength." He tugged on her arm, attempting to get her to lie back down. "I don't think…" He stopped and then corrected himself. "I _know_ I can't live without you." He paused again and then said, almost pleadingly, "Why… Why did you do that?"

Kagome coughed up thick blood before turning her face up to view Inu-yasha. She smiled at him. She just managed to get the word 'love' out. A slow grin formed on his face before he kissed her.

Naraku rolled his eyes, annoyed at their lovey-dovey-ness and at being ignored. "Aw, so sweet." He spit in disgust.

Kagome pulled away from Inu-yasha's kiss and embrace, her jaw set straight. She glared at Naraku.

"I'm so scared," Naraku said in boredom.

Adrenaline pumped through her veins at lightning fast speeds. This was why she had stood up. She wanted to really finish this, end the fear, memories, and pain forever. But most of all, she wanted to prove to that stupid voice in her head and to Naraku that she was _not_ a coward.

All her strength filtered to her fist as she pulled it back. She released it all in a single stroke, a swing that hit Naraku squarely in the jaw. The combination of shock and force knocked Naraku back. His head collided painfully with the edge of the metal bench under the willow trees. After the sickening noise, he fell silent and still.

Kagome nodded as if to confirm this as the perfect closure to her past for forever before her drained body fell to the gravel again. Right next to her unclosed cell phone.

xXx

Voices. Lights. Movement. Beeping. It was fuzzy as Kagome felt it happening all around her. Nothing was in focus and she couldn't distinguish any of the sounds from one another. She drifted in and out of darkness and every time she saw light again, the voices would escalate.

Nothing made sense. Where was she? Who were these people? Why did they keep yelling? Questions she didn't know the answers to. Would she ever know?

xXx

Inu-yasha stood pacing outside the hospital room along with Inutaisho, Izayoi, Sango, Miroku, Souta, Mrs. Higurashi, and Kagome's grandfather. Sesshomaru sat in a nearby chair, struggling to keep his face emotionless. The doctors had kicked them all out of the room when the situation got critical.

She had been in there for over four hours and still no doctor had come out to give them even a glimmer of hope. The waiting was agony. Inu-yasha wished more than ever it had been him instead of her.

Naraku was being worked on in a room down the hall but Inu-yasha could care less about him. His thoughts were focused only on the girl in Room 218.

So it had been the police Kagome was talking to on the phone before Naraku pulled the gun out. As the medics picked up Kagome and Naraku's bodies to take to the ambulances, the police reassured Inu-yasha that they had recorded the whole conversation through Kagome's phone. So if Naraku tried to pin the assault on Inu-yasha, they'd know the truth and have the evidence to back it up.

Inu-yasha had hardly paid attention to them however as he hopped into the back of the emergency vehicle with Kagome. The medics talked in escalated voices as they tried stop the bleeding while they drove to the nearest hospital. Inu-yasha had never been so scared in his life. He feared for Kagome's life every time the medics panicked and increased their activity, doing what they could to save her.

When they'd reached the hospital, Inu-yasha had called both his and Kagome's households to tell them where they were. Sango and Miroku had been at his house for the party and came with the Taisho's to the hospital. When both families made it there, Inu-yasha explained what had happened to Mrs. Higurashi. He had to start from the very beginning when he told his father since they didn't know about Kagome's past with Naraku. After hearing the full story, Inutaisho swore he'd pay for the best lawyer in the country when the court date came.

A nurse had bandaged Inu-yasha's wounds earlier but his agitation made the nurse's job difficult. She was used to it however and had managed to dress his three bad cuts anyway. He had almost forgotten about them in his thoughts about Kagome.

Suddenly, while Inu-yasha ran the events of the past several hours through his mind, a man in a white doctor's coat rushed down the hall. Inu-yasha was one of the first to jump up to address him.

The doctor viewed the two families who crowded around him. He looked down at his clipboard and said, "You all Naraku's family?"

Inu-yasha's sliver of hope faded. "We know him," Inu-yasha growled.

"But you're not his family?" The doctor wasn't able to tell any information concerning the man unless they were connected to him in some way.

"He shot my daughter!" Mrs. Higurashi sobbed. Her eyes were puffy and red. She had been crying since Inu-yasha told her over the phone that her daughter was in the hospital.

The doctor regarded the woman sympathetically and decided they had the right to know. "Well, he doesn't remember shooting anyone. In fact, he can't remember his own name. When only knew who he was because of his fingerprints." Inu-yasha eyed him in confusion, uncertain as to what the doctor was hinting at. The doctor continued, "His skull fractured at the point of impact and damaged the brain cells where the memory is stored. We were able to stop the blood from clotting so much that it would kill him but we can't bring back those damaged cells." He paused with a sigh before saying, "Naraku has permanent memory loss."

Inu-yasha waited a moment for the statement to sink in. Memory loss? And it's permanent? So he'll never remember what he did to Kagome or Sukaru. He won't ever remember what happened that night. He won't remember his thoughts of revenge or the experiences he had in rehab. Inu-yasha couldn't believe it.

"Is it really that easy? Just, in a matter of minutes, forget your whole life?" Inu-yasha asked incredulously.

The doctor nodded and explained in elaborate medical terms the conditions and frailness of the human brain. Inu-yasha hardly understood half the words he used but it was enough to convince him it was true. He thought of the complications this would create. Naraku would be charged with the murder of one person and the attempted murder of another but he wouldn't remember any of it. Was it right to convict a man of a crime he didn't know of?

As Inu-yasha contemplated the answer, the door to Room 218 opened and a doctor slipped out and quickly closed the door behind him. The room's attention quickly shifted to the newcomer.

The doctor cleared his throat in uneasiness at the lack of space the people were providing him with. "Kagome Higurashi's family, I presume?" he asked.

They all nodded their heads vigorously.

He sighed wearily. "The bullet shattered Kagome's shoulder blade. But if it had been lower by even a hair, it would've hit her heart or lungs and we would've lost her. It'll take a month or so for her shoulder to heal so she'll have to wear a cast."

Mrs. Higurashi was still in tears. "But… she's going to be okay… right?"

He smiled. "She's still a bit unstable, but we're pretty sure she'll pull through."

Inu-yasha took a deep breath of relief as everyone reacted to the good news.

Souta comforted his mother as she broke down into tears of happiness while his grandfather gave thanks to the gods.

Sango and Miroku hugged each other tightly in their excitement. She kissed him unexpectedly but just as quickly turned away with a bright blush. Miroku just grinned.

Although Inutaisho and Izayoi had never met the girl, they were overcome with joy as well. And Inu-yasha could have sworn that was a smile he saw tug at Sesshomaru's lips.

"Can we see her?" Inu-yasha asked hopefully.

The doctor smiled at him. "As soon as she's stable enough, we'll allow visitors."

Inu-yasha nodded and took a seat. Now that he knew she was going to live, he was capable of patience.

xXx

"Can I see it again?"

"What? But I just showed you Inu-yasha."

"I know but I didn't get a good look the first time."

"Ugh, you just want to see it again so you can look down my shirt! Nasty perv! I think Miroku is rubbing off on you."

Inu-yasha grinned. "You know me too well." Kagome scoffed and walked a little faster down the sidewalk towards the school parking lot. They decided to walk to school this morning. Inu-yasha caught up with her and pleaded, "Please. Just one more time and then I'll leave you alone."

"Humph! No you won't!"

She knew showing him her scar was a bad idea. What had possessed her to do such a thing? Must have been that stupid puppy dog pout. It got her every time.

The bullet's entrance was now a scar on the top of her left breast. It had gone straight through her and shattered into slivers since it was fired at close range, so the doctors had to make an incision in order to get the pieces out. So the scar was a line with a circle in about the middle.

The doctor's let her go home after two weeks when they were sure she'd be fine. Two weeks later, she was finally able to take the cast off. Now she was back in school with her close friends at her side and her loving family at home. Everything was better than normal. She didn't wear baggy clothes anymore and now she and Inu-yasha were the most popular couple in the school with friends every where.

Kagome's scar was the only thing that reminded her of Naraku or what happened. Since his brain damage was permanent, he was put in a mental hospital. His only family was a father and an uncle but one was in jail and the other was on probation so they thought the facility would be best for him anyway. Naraku had to be reminded who, where, and what he was every morning. As much pain as he had inflicted on her, Kagome still felt pity for him. But she didn't regret any of her actions. She had faced her fear and proven to everyone she wasn't a coward.

"One more time?" Inu-yasha pleaded, snapping her out of her thoughts. He gave her his irresistible puppy dog pout, causing her to stop walking and watch.

Kagome sighed and tugged on the collar of her shirt to reveal the scar and the very top of her lace bra. Inu-yasha stared a moment before his hand began to wonder towards it.

"Inu-yasha!" she scowled as she smacked his hand away. "Don't think I didn't see that perverted grin! No touching."

Inu-yasha grunted. "You act like you wouldn't enjoy that."

Kagome smacked him playfully on his head, tousling his silver hair and stuck her tongue out at him.

"I hope you're ready for my payback prank," she commented calmly.

The hairs stood up on the back of Inu-yasha's neck. "Oh yeah, I forgot about that." She hadn't had the chance since she was in the hospital. "And I still owe you that day out."

"But we never went to your party. I'm sure your dad wasn't too happy about that. Yet another party that didn't turn out as planned. I still haven't met him yet."

"You were in the hospital, he could understand." The couple got closer to the school entrance. As always, students crowded in their casual groups and gossiped while they waited for the bell to ring.

"But I still want to take you out sometime, you know, to celebrate the healing of your shoulder," continued Inu-yasha as they walked toward a picnic bench under some trees next to the front door. "This whole week you've had to catch up with all your school work and we haven't really had the chance to hang out, you know? Are you free tomorrow?" It was Saturday the next day.

Kagome groaned. "My family's dragging me to another shrine tomorrow. It's pretty far away so we'll most likely be gone all day." After seeing Inu-yasha sigh in defeat, she added, "My brother's having some friends over at night, but Sunday's fine."

Inu-yasha grinned. He leaned over to give her a kiss but suddenly, the whole table shook. They jumped back, startled, as a familiar voice greeted them.

"Hey guys!" Miroku said full of cheer. He stood tall looking down at them from the top of the table.

"You asshole," Inu-yasha growled as he swatted at his foot, causing Miroku to tumble down.

He just laughed as he took a seat next to Inu-yasha. "How's my favorite couple?"

"We _were_ just fine," Inu-yasha growled.

Kagome laughed as another voice said, "I'm sure you two were. Why do you always have to ruin the moment Miroku?"

Sango came up and sat next to her friend scowling.

"I don't always do it." Miroku said defensively. Sango rolled her eyes and began to converse with Kagome in an attempt to ignore him.

As the girls gossiped, Miroku turned to Inu-yasha. "So what are you going to do now?"

Inu-yasha eyed him uncertainly. "What do you mean?"

"The project, of course. We basically still have the rest of the year left. You need a new project."

"Since when did I start doing two a year?"

Before Miroku could answer, Kagome cut in. "Project? What are you two talking about?"

After explaining the project's past to her and the reason he did one every year, Kagome said, "So you need a new one? What was the first?"

Just the question he didn't want to answer. Inu-yasha had been half hoping Kagome wouldn't hear about it. He didn't want her to get offended if he told her she had been his project. He could see her glare now…

"You were," Miroku answered before Inu-yasha could conjure up the right words to explain. He gave his oblivious friend a death stare. It was almost as bad as the one Kagome was giving him.

"So I was a _project_?" she gritted through her teeth.

"Well," Inu-yasha started uneasily, "it's more like a goal. My _goal_ was to see why you shot me down that day I asked you out. I figured there had to be more it than that so I set out to find out what it was."

Kagome seemed to lighten up on her glare. "Doesn't sound as bad when you put it that way," she mumbled. "So since you did what you were trying to do you're going to find another one?"

"He is now," Miroku grinned. "It's the only thing that keeps him really busy so being done with it this soon into the school year means he'll have nothing to do."

"Are you saying I was easy?" Kagome growled.

"No, no, no," Inu-yasha cut in quickly. "Of course not. Come on, it's been like seven weeks since we met and we've only officially been going out for less than a week. You were definitely the hardest."

Kagome smiled slowly in satisfaction while Inu-yasha sighed in relief. _Close._

"You haven't ever done a project?" Sango asked Miroku.

He looked thoughtful for a moment before saying, "I never thought of it before."

"I," Kagome stated, "think we should all do one."

The four friends looked at each other and shrugged.

"Sure."

"Fine by me."

"Why not?"

Inu-yasha grinned. "To make your project official, at least one of us has to know what it is. That's the only rule along with it having to be done by the end of the year. Agreed?"

The four best friends nodded.

Kagome smiled proudly. "I already know mine. By the end of the year, I'm going to face all my fears: spiders, heights, big dogs, and planes."

Inu-yasha laughed. "Heights, huh?" He shut up after a death glare.

"I know what mine is," Sango spoke up. Everyone turned their attention to her. She said quietly, "Only one has to know for the project to be official right?" They nodded so Sango turned and whispered in Kagome's ear.

Her eyes got larger and larger as Sango continued to tell her. "What?" Kagome exclaimed. She glanced at the boys and said more quietly to her friend, "But what about…?" Sango whispered into her ear again before Kagome asked, "Are you sure?"

Sango nodded with a blush.

A grin spread across Kagome's face. "Oooo, go Sango!"

"Shut up!" she growled with red cheeks.

The boys looked at each other in confusion. "What is it?" Miroku asked with curiosity.

Just then the bell rang. Both the girls stood up without hesitation.

"Whoa, whoa, wait. Are you going to answer?" Inu-yasha said with impatience.

Kagome winked at them. "Nope. Neither of you can know. You'll know when she finishes it though." With that they walked away.

The boys stared after them with open jaws. They glanced at each other before running to catch up with them.

xXx

"Did you catch me beam Kouga with that football in gym last Friday?" Inu-yasha boasted the next Sunday. "That was almost as good as the volleyball and the golf ball!"

Kagome chuckled as Inu-yasha imitated the faces Kouga had made.

"He's just mad that you're with me," Inu-yasha smiled smugly. "Too bad for him!" He laughed.

Kagome smiled and looked away. Inu-yasha furrowed his brow at her.

As promised, they'd had their day together today. The couple had gone shopping, skating, and to an arcade. They had just got back from dinner and a walk around Reanu Park. He had been leading up to the question he wanted to ask. He wanted to take her to homecoming. But the day hadn't gone as he had planned.

He'd been trying to get her to laugh all day. She had seemed distant the whole time, like she had something on her mind. But she didn't mention anything so Inu-yasha figured she'd say what was bothering her when she was ready. But now they were at her door and she still hadn't said anything. Inu-yasha ran out of patience.

They stopped at her welcome mat. "Are you alright?" he asked softly.

"I'm fine," she answered a bit too fast.

Inu-yasha rolled his eyes. "You know I can tell when you're lying so why do you bother?" He grinned playfully but she definitely wasn't smiling. In fact she seemed to be on the verge of tears.

Alarmed, Inu-yasha said, "What's wrong?"

Tears began to fall down her cheeks as she looked up at Inu-yasha. "There's something I have to tell you. I wasn't sure how to say it before so I didn't mention it."

Inu-yasha comforted her with a hug. "What is it?" he asked when he pulled away.

She bit her lower lip uncertainly and instead of saying anything, she unlocked her front door and pushed it open. Inu-yasha stepped in uneasily as Kagome broke down in a sob, her hands cupping her face miserably. Inu-yasha's feet froze in place as he took in the sight.

Boxes were everywhere. The paintings he'd seen on the walls before were no longer there. As his eyes wondered in disbelief toward the kitchen, he saw that all the cooking utensils were gone. He could see through the open frame into the living room. The furniture was wrapped in plastic, ready to go. With wide eyes, Inu-yasha looked back at Kagome who was still sobbing.

"You… you're… moving?" Inu-yasha whispered incredulously.

Kagome just nodded, her head still buried in her hands, her tears staining the air.

Inu-yasha shook his head. "You can't be!" He refused to believe it. All he could think about was Kaori, his first love. She had moved too. That was how he'd lost her, and now it was Kagome. "I don't want to lose you!" he shouted.

"Remember that shrine I went to with my family yesterday?" Kagome said through her tears. "It's in New York. My mother bought the property. We're going to move to live there next weekend."

Inu-yasha shook his head again. "You can't!" It had taken him long enough to get over Kaori, and he still hadn't forgotten her. He was closer to Kagome than he'd been with Kaori. He knew getting over the loss of Kagome would be impossible.

"You can't," he said again softer. He embraced her tightly. "I love you."

Kagome sniffed in his arms. "I love you too." She looked up at him. "I tried to talk my mom out of it but she wouldn't listen to me. She just told me that we're only a five hour drive away from each other," she said bitterly.

"Five hours?" Inu-yasha exclaimed. "We won't see each other nearly as much as if you were to stay here."

"I know, that's what I told her but she didn't listen," Kagome growled angrily.

Heartbreak washed through Inu-yasha's eyes as he gazed at her. He seemed close to tears himself. "You… can't go…" He sighed in utter defeat.

Kagome studied him, her face indecipherable. Then she said reluctantly, "There's one more thing I have to tell you."

Inu-yasha looked up at her with miserable eyes. More bad news? He didn't think he could handle it.

Kagome shifted out of his arms and took a few steps away into the darkness. The only light filtered in from the porch light. "What is it?" Inu-yasha asked, preparing for the worst.

When she looked back at him, he couldn't believe it. She was… _smiling_!

"Gotcha," she smirked.

Suddenly, she ducked out of view just as three white circular objects came hurling at Inu-yasha. One smacked him right in the face while the other two hit him in his chest and shoulder. This was followed by laughter. One taste told Inu-yasha they were pies.

Inu-yasha stood there in disbelief as the silver pie containers fell to the floor. "You," he started as he wiped the goo off his face with a hand, "have got to be joking." Two more pies hit him at the waist and in the head again.

As he wiped the pie from his face again, Kagome stepped to his side. "As a matter of fact," she said as she smacked him in the face with another pie, "we are."

Little boys' laughter followed this. Inu-yasha cleaned his eyes to see Souta and three other boys he'd never seen. He remembered Kagome telling him Souta was having friends over tonight. So they had thrown the pie. Except for the one holding the video camera… Oh. God.

Everything suddenly made a ton of sense.

Inu-yasha sucked his teeth as turned to Kagome who was dipping her finger in the pie on his body and tasting it. "So… you're not moving."

She grinned. "Nope," she said cheerfully as she sucked the pie off her finger.

Inu-yasha smiled bitterly. "This is your payback prank… isn't it?" Not that he had to ask.

She nodded happily and poked him. He fell back onto some boxes. They were filled with packing Styrofoam and stuck to his pie-covered body. She and the boys laughed.

Inu-yasha sat there and let the anger fill every cell in his body. With a deep breath he jumped up and exploded. "This was wrong and you know it! Beyond wrong! Playing with my emotions and getting me all scared and… Shit! I mean, I wouldn't even do this!"

Kagome giggled. "I know, isn't it great!" she said as if it was the most exciting thing in the world.

"Kagome!" Inu-yasha groaned. Then he caught sight of the boy holding the camera. "And you video taped my reaction and the pies and the…. Goddammit!"

Kagome laughed and hugged him, getting pie remnants on her shirt. "Betcha didn't think I'd go this far," she smirked, her eyes full of laughter.

"Hell no," Inu-yasha said miserably as Kagome chuckled. She got him, and she got him _good_. He'd never live this day down. They'd talk about it till he was a hundred.

"Just admit it. I," she grinned smugly as she poked him, "can out-prank you."

Inu-yasha's jaw fell open. "No. You. Can't. Just know that you've started a huge war. Like a _mega_ hugiganticormous war."

"Is that a word?"

"This will be a monumental war, one everyone will remember. Bigger than Civil War II."

"I think it's World War II, not—"

"The point is," Inu-yasha cut in angrily, "you're going to pay."

Kagome scoffed. "You can't get payback on a payback prank. That makes no sense."

"Does to me!" he growled stubbornly and crossed his arms. His eye caught the boys who were still rolling on the floor in laughter with the exception of the one filming. "And turn that damn camera off!"

Kagome laughed as he chased the boys around the house, stuffing them in boxes when he caught them and sitting on the boxes' tops, laughing victoriously.

If this was what life was going to be like for the rest of the year, Kagome didn't want it any other way.

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

**The End**

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

**It's over! Last chapter everybody! I can't believe it... Oh yea, and I know it took me almost two months to update. I'm SO SORRY! I wanted to get the chapter up before Christmas because then I'd really be busy with getting my family presents, but you see how that worked out... I actually was working on it for two months though. The thing is I had writer's block for so freakin long but I'd keep coming back to it when I thought of something to add. And this is the end result. Didja like it??**

**Yes, I know there's OOC-ness and a shit load of drama... Oh, and the parts that were meant to be funny, like Kagome's final payback prank, might not have been too funny... Like, I think I might've made her do too much. I just thought it might be funny to see Inu's reaction when he found out it was all fake, lol! **

**Well, my fellow fans and readers, it's been fun... --cries-- I can't believe it's over!! --sob--... --having regained her composure-- Actually, you're not getting rid of me just yet. I'm going to do an epilogue before I'm done. It _should_ be short, brief, and to the point. I've read other epilogues and they just continue with the story but I'll be doing it a little differently. You'll just have to wait n see :D**

**Hiko18**

**P.S. ****So this is offically my longest chapter! I was going to cut it into two but I said only one more so I only did one more. Most of it's dialogue anyway... Anyway, the point is, I'm not going over this to check for spelling errors and grammar and whatever so sorry for any mistakes. I try to get it right the first time around ; )**


	17. Epilogue

**Epilogue's finally here! The last part of _The Project_ is done at last!... I'll miss you all though... Anyway, here it is!**

**Epilogue**

I wearily lie down on my comfortable bed. The soft pillows and warm sheets welcome me and sooth my tired limbs. But my exhaustion is rewarded with the thoughts of my sister and her boyfriend's faces when they walk into the door momentarily. The two went to some restaurant called _Zake_ to celebrate their six month anniversary. What could make an anniversary better than a few good laughs? Then again, I doubt the couple will feel like laughing…

Kagome was always a cool older sister but she's gotten a lot cooler since she met Inu-yasha. Even though they go out, the couple are forever pranking each other. Ever since I helped her with her payback prank all those weeks ago, Inu-yasha made it his sole mission to out-do Kagome in pranking. I suppose it's his new 'project'. So far, it doesn't look promising for him.

When Kagome's locker 'mysteriously' turned up empty, Inu-yasha ended up with a locker not full of books but pink thongs, loads of tampons, and heaps of pads. Yuck! I wish Kagome had never told me what those were. Why did I just have to be curious that day?

When Kagome was 'somehow' glued to her seat in class, the next day Inu-yasha was glued to his seat while a loose screw worked its magic and made the whole desk fall apart. I will always remember the way Kagome described how uncomfortable he had been when he had to walk around with a chair seat super glued to his behind!

When Kagome's gym clothes 'turned up' missing, Inu-yasha's brother, Sesshomaru's clothes were dyed a dark purple, earning him the nickname Barney. Sesshomaru spent weeks pummeling his little half-brother, thinking it was him who had committed the act. From what I've heard, Sesshomaru did something similar, except it was with the boys' dad and involved pink hair. Inu-yasha got the blame and was grounded for it.

Speaking of Sesshomaru, I've heard Inu-yasha laughing about him as if he were a rodeo clown. Apparently, Sesshomaru has two new 'girlfriends', both of which he can't stand. Kagura and Kikyo occupy his time 24/7, whether they're trying to impress him or whether they're arguing over which of them is Sesshomaru's girlfriend. And it only makes it worse when his dad tells him that he's already made wedding plans for them, depending on which girl wins him over.

I met Inutaisho and Izayoi about a week after Kagome's shoulder healed. We went for a party at their house. The food was great! I love Tami's cooking! Don't remember much else, come to think of it (one-track mind). I'm sure Kagome and Inu-yasha were smooching in some corner though. Eww!

I look over at my alarm clock on my end table. I can't help the evil grin that takes over my face. They should be home any minute now.

Sango and Miroku are going strong now… Well, that's the way Sango wants it. Miroku wants it that way too but Sango refuses to go out with him until he learns to control those wandering hands of his. It's Sango's project to snap him into shape but unfortunately for her, Miroku's project contrasts hers in everyway possible. He loves her to death but he just can't help grabbing every passing girl's butt. His mission is to get Sango to live with it. They've been battling (arguing) back and forth for the past several months, trying to get the other to see it their way. I wonder who will win in the end…?

My bed suddenly shifts dramatically as a form lies down next to me. I panic at first, thinking it's Inu-yasha or Kagome but it's just Shippo, my best friend. He was the one who had filmed Kagome's payback prank.

"Everything's done. Camera's set up, materials in place," he states professionally but wearily. We've been doing this for a while now, and had many mess-ups so we've learned to check over everything before time is up. I had to ask for his assistance this time.

"Good," I sigh and close my eyes. "They said they'd be home at midnight at the latest and that's a few minutes away, so get ready."

Shippo grinned and chuckled, "Yeah, get ready to laugh."

I smirked at the imaginary stunned faces I suspected to see in the next few moments. Suddenly taking on a professional tone, I ask, "You remembered the string?"

"Yup."

"What about the grease?"

"Taken care of."

"And the worms?"

Shippo nods. "I didn't forget a thing, I promise." I knew he always got irritated when I quizzed him like this but we've screwed up too many good pranks for us not to be careful. Besides, he did the same thing to me when I had to wrap things up.

As promised, Inu-yasha gave me a few pointers on the art of pranking. Of course it backfired because that's all I do to him now. We've gotten a few boys at his school a few good times though. Like this one boy, Kouga I think his name was, was about to explode when his locker was found with fruity-smelling lotion covering the inside. I mean, it was so bad the other guys thought he was queer for the two months his locker smelled like strawberries and cream and cucumber melon. Oh, and this other guy Hojo was fuming when Inu-yasha set up a date for an exterminator to set bug bombs in their home, causing Hojo and his family to stay at hotel for four days. When they were able to move back into the house, they had to live with the most peculiar smells for a month.

Anyway, so life is back to normal, or better than normal, really, since Naraku has been living in the mental hospital. You know, as much hell as she's been through, pure-hearted Kagome still can't help but feel sorry for him. Every morning he has to be reminded: Your name is Naraku, you are twenty years old, you live in a mental hospital and on and on… I suppose that kind of life has to suck but then again, if I was Naraku, I'd _want_ to forget all the horrible things I did. Mom thought it was 'unhealthy' for Kagome to feel pity for him but now that Kagome's finally happy with the life she leads now, Mom doesn't bother her about it that much anymore.

Suddenly, a shake on my shoulder awakens me from my dozing. Shippo is staring at me with intense eyes. He motions for me to be quiet and points out my door toward the general direction of the front door. I hear a key jingling and familiar voices laughing. The excitement flowing through me causes me to leap up and creep toward the foyer. Shippo follows me, hardly able to keep his laugher from escaping. I shush him while struggling to keep my own laughter from erupting.

The door opens… and the games begin. Even before I see the scene unfold before my eyes, I know Inu-yasha will hunt me down for this.

And the weird part is, I wouldn't have it any other way.

**xxXXxxXXxx**

**xXxXx**

**xxXXxxXXxx**

**It's over!!! I can't believe it... I finally finished after a year and three weeks. Wow. By the way, sorry for the late update, yet again. I completely forgot about Science Fair and had to get that taken care of. I've also been sick the past four or five days, and that's no fun. But I got it done. -smiles-**

**So now that _The Project_ is over, what'd you think? Is the epilogue alright? I wasn't sure how to do it since, well, I've never done one before. I hope I didn't confuse anyone, you know, with all the time shifts. I just wanted to make it a little fun. Besides, Souta didn't get enough action as I wanted. The vocabulary was a little slang-ish and child-like since it was Souta who was talking. **

**I think I wrapped it all up for ya though, right? I tried to add a little comment about all the main characters. And I kinda threw Shippo in there at the last minute. I was just wanted him in there at least a little bit. I mean, what's a Inu-yasha fanfiction without Shippo? I wish I had added a little bit more of him. It'd be like the two little terrors, Souta and Shippo. I'm sure Kagome and Inu-yasha would have just loved that... Haha!**

**Anyway, thank you all for reading my first fanfiction. I'd like to thank all my reviewers as well:**

_manga-is-my-anti-drug, Doggy Ears n Emily, AnimeKage, Maiden-of-Life, Aneia, Ethuiliel, Kisskitty, Addanc-TSC, lostmoonchild, Avelyn Lauren, alchemistgrl09, lilazninufreak, inujo, WitchyGirl99, Guyanies-Hinndi-Chick1993, Silent Kunoichi aka. Fiona, Dozen and One Stars, xd3m0nxchi1dx, ebonyS2, xDiExBaStUrDx05, Dark Miko, Taka of Egypt, kagome10678, Materialized, i am PenName, Pokemon Freak 2006, Lady Nudra, Da-Finest-Blackanese-Miko, desmond gill, young kagome, UnderTheCherryBlossoms, Phantom-Demon-Girl, Kyuuki, kagomefan595, Punk Rock Miko2, inuandkaglover23, Winter's Child, Photographing Poetry, Firefly-Crystal Tears, Reason 2.0, DropofCrimson, Inuyasha'sdaughter411, Katy-Chan, darkhanyou27, Amanda Trinh, XxMoonlitxSuicidesxX, Sand-Blossom, Hanako Horigome, Nilmiel and Kenya, XxHisLilLoverGirlxX, mysterygurl13, dragonflamez13, Inuyasha-obsessed167, by the sakura tree, Flower Tears, inuyashalover1990, .TheLadyBlue., Kagome1322, inusbro53, Uzamaki-Girl, wryter4-hire, Yoshiko Furu, Demonic Waffle D2K, ceecee, fireflygirl, InuKagluver91, Kikira-Lynn, singerme5791, Harai, Psycho-Miko22, inu-stacy, priestessmykala, Ebony Princess, kagome7inuyasha75, Minisuko, Black Juju, Shori, lyttleshortie, xMikoxMandiex, mszbrownangel, stevie dee, lovelyflip08, Lil Vixen, Mystery-Swordsman, Smiley Gurl 87, Don't Cry Out, SSJ04 Mewtwo, °ஐ•kαяα•ஐ°мεω, watermiko13, Archerelf, ebayrose, 15transcends, sasha the water goddess, LHTZS0114, anime-obsession260, Jennie555, angelqt1231_

**And a special thanks to my** **faithful reviewers, those who reviewed 10+ times:**

_manga-is-my-anti-drug_

_Kisskitty_

_Avelyn Lauren_

_alchemistgrl09_

_WitchyGirl99_

**Thank you all!! I'll see you all hopefully when I make my next story! Buh-bye!**

**Hikoboshi18**


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